TEACHERS'  HANDBOOKS 


lOMPOSITION  EXERCISES 


IRENE   HARDY 


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TEACHERS'  HANDBOOKS. 


ELEMENTARY 

COMPOSITION  EXERCISES 


BY 

IRfeNE    HARDY 

OF  THE 

OAKLAND  HIGH  SCHOOL,  OAKLAND,  CALIFORNIA 


*'  Language  is  precious  ;  use  it  as  if  you  believed  it  to  be  so.' 


NEW  YORK 
HENRY  HOLT  AND  COMPANY 

1890 


Copyright,  i8qo, 

BY 

HENRY  HOLT  &  CO. 


.n/;vO-l:..:/^-.- 


THE   MERSHON   COMPANY   PRESS, 
RAHWAY,   N     J. 


CONTENTS. 


Introductory  Suggestions, 
Lesson  Presentation, 


I. 
II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 


PART  I. 

Word  Exercises,  .... 
{a)  Beginning  Phrases  and  Clauses, 
{^)  Picture  Sentences, 

Objects, 

Living  Beings 

Plants  of  the  Streets, 

The  Landscape,  .... 

Phenomena  of  Nature, 

Local  Geography,      .... 

Local  History,      .... 

Personal  Experiences, 

Building, 

The  Schoolhouse,      .... 

Comparisons, 

Domestic  Manufactures, 
Home  Papers,         .... 
Oral  Composition,      .... 
General  Suggestions,    . 
iii 


II 

20 
22 
24 
27 

33 
36 
42 
46 
49 
51 
55 
57 
59 
61 
66 
68 
70 


41000U 


IV 


CONTENTS, 


PART  II 

CHAPTER 

I.  Pantomimes, 

II.  Pictures, 

III.  School  Reading-Books, 

IV.  Paraphrasing, 
V.  Lessons  from  Poems, 

VI.  The  Study  of  a  Story, 

VII.  Invention, 

VIII.  Pure  Description, 

IX.  A  Daily  Journal,     . 

X.  Prepositional  Phrases, 

XI.  Selected  Passages, 

XII.  The  Study  of  Form,  . 

XIII.  Some  Varieties  of  Exercises, 

XIV.  General  Suggestions, 
XV.  Errors  in  Speaking, 

XV  r.  Subjects  for  Advanced  Classes 

XVI  r.  Subjects  for  Pupils  of  Various 

XV 111.  Brief  Extracts  from  Poems 

XIX.  Short  Poems,    . 


Ages, 


PAGE 

74 
77 
80 
88 
91 
95 

lOI 

103 

105 
107 
III 

113 
117 

122 
124 
126 
130 

138 
147 


PREFACE. 


THE  following  lessons  are  transcripts  of  actual 
work  done  in  the  school-room  by  the  author, 
who,  however,  claims  nothing  for  them  in  the 
way  of  originality.  They  are  simply  an  attempt 
at  setting  down  for  others,  whose  tastes  and 
training  may  not  have  made  composition-work 
in  school  agreeable  and  easy,  the  methods  and 
results  of  reasonably  successful  work  during  some 
years  of  experience  in  public  schools  of  various 
grades,  ranging  from  Primary  to  Senior  High 
School  classes. 

Observing  that  many  teachers  fail  to  adapt 
the  material  around  them  to  the  uses  of  com- 
position-work, the  author  takes  pleasure  in  thus 
making  common  property  of  lessons  and  plans 
drawn  from  various  common  sources,  which  have 
been  of  service  to  herself. 

An  increasing  interest  in  the  study  of  English, 
and  a  growing  appreciation  in  the  public  mind 
of  its  importance,  make  it  unnecessary  now  to 
argue  concerning  the  value  of  this  part  of  a 
child's  education,  or  to  try  to  show  that  the 
ability  to  use  its  own  language  with  "  force  and 


iv  PREFACE. 

precision  "  takes  precedence  of  all  other  tilings 
acquired  at  school.  A  man  may  be  a  mathema- 
tician and  not  make  himself  felt  as  an  educated 
man  ;  but  he  cannot  have  a  liberal  acquaintance 
with  the  literature  of  his  own  language  without 
affecting  society  as  a  cultured  mind.  The 
beginnings  of  this  culture  lie  in  the  little  lessons 
that  teach  the  child  how  to  understand  and  to 
use  his  mother  tongue  as  it  is  used  in  books  and 
in  common  life. 

Nor  will  it  be  worth  while  to  try  to  show  that 
the  indifferent  success  of  schools,  generally,  in 
the  attempt  to  give  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  com- 
mon branches,  is  largely  owing  to  the  fact  that 
children  are  set  to  learning  these  from  books 
before  they  have  sufficient  acquaintance  with 
their  own  language  to  understand  the  text-book 
use  of  it.  The  vocabulary  of  the  average  child 
of  school  age  is  exceedingly  small,  and  there  are 
almost  no  words  outside  of  the  home  and  play- 
ground list  that  it  is  safe  to  count  on  his  under- 
standing. Where  there  are  exceptions  to  this, 
they  are  always  to  be  found  among  children  to 
whom  from   an  early  age  books  have  been  read. 

Any  child  will  learn  the  ordinary  school  branch- 
es with  less  than  one-half  the  expenditure  of 
time  and  strength — to  say  nothing  of  absolute 
waste  in  these  and  other  matters — if  he  has  first 
been  taught  the  use  of  his  own  language  through 
much  reading  and  writing.     Were  the  first  ten, 


PREFACE.  V 

perhaps  twelve,  years  of  a  child's  life  given  to 
the  acquisition  of  language-power,  and  conse- 
quent general  knowledge  and  intelligence,  through 
writing,  and  reading  books  (real  books,  not  scraps), 
the  necessary  "  common  branches  *'  could  be 
mastered  in  a  comparatively  short  time,  and 
without  that  sad  drudgery  which  wastes  both 
pupil  and  teacher,  and  to  so  little  purpose. 

On  the  subject  of  the  study  of  the  English 
language.  Professor  Huxley  has  written  the  fol- 
lowing: 

**  I  would  assuredly  devote  a  large  portion  of 
the  time  of  every  English  [-speaking]  child  to  the 
careful  study  of  models  of  English  writing  of 
such  varied  and  wonderful  kinds  as  we  possess  ; 
and,  what  is  still  more  important  and  still  more 
neglected,  to  the  habit  of  using  that  language 
with  precision  and  with  force  and  with  art. 

"•  I  fancy  we  are  almost  the  only  nation  in  the 
world  who  seem  to  think  that  composition  comes 
by  nature.  The  French  attend  to  their  own  lan- 
guage, the  Germans  study  theirs  ;  but  the  En- 
glish do  not  seem  to  think  it  worth  while." 

''  If  you  wish  to  learn  to  draw,"  says  Edward 
Everett  Hale,  ''  draw."  Facility  in  writing  can 
be  got  in  no  other  way  than  by  writing.  Daily 
practice  in  this,  as  in  any  other  art,  is  the  only 
way  to  insure  proficiency  in  it.  Ability,  taste, 
genius,  count  for  little  without  continual  prac- 
tice in  the  formative  years. 


vi  PREFACE. 

For  such  matters  as  belong  to  the  mere  me- 
chanics of  composition,  to  Syntax,  to  Rhetoric, 
and  the  like,  the  teacher  is  referred  to  the  al- 
ready numerous  text-books  on  those  subjects. 

The  author  gratefully  acknowledges  indebted- 
ness, for  encouragement  and  advice,  to  the  late 
lamented  Prof.  E.  R.  Sill,  and  to  Mr.  J.  B.  Mc- 
Chesney,  her  worthy  principal  and  co-worker. 
The  author  wishes  also  to  express  her  appre- 
ciation of  valuable  aid  received  from  Prof.  C.  B. 
Bradley,  of  the  University  of  California. 

Oakland,  California,  February,  1890. 


INTRODUCTORY  SUGGESTIONS. 


WHAT   TO   DO. 

I.  Find  out  what  your  predecessor  has  done. 

II.  Provide  a  regular  time  for  composition 
during  school  hours  every  day. 

III.  Prepare  every  exercise  beforehand. 

IV.  Exact  promptness,  neatness,  and  correct- 
ness of  preparation  at  every  exercise. 

V.  Commend  when  you  can,  where  commen- 
dation is  needed. 

VI.  When  you  find  any  individual  style  of 
expression  and  thought,  encourage  it ;  but  di- 
rect it. 

VII.  Try  to  instill  sincerity  of  expression  and 
manner. 

VIII.  Study  good  models  of  writing  all  the 
time,  yourself. 

WHAT   NOT   TO   DO. 

I.  Do  not  use  the  word  composition  in  a  new 
class,  at  first. 

II.  Never  ask  children  to  write  compositions 
at  home. 

III.  Never  depend  on   encyclopedias  for   ma- 


viii  INTRODUCTORY  SUGGESTIONS. 

terial,  nor  allow  your  pupils  to  think  that  they 
may. 

IV.  Tolerate  no  affectation  or  insincerity  of 
ideas,  in  class  writing.  If  a  pupil  is  habitually 
untruthful,  see  that  he  does  not  read  aloud  any 
statement  about  truth-telling. 

V.  Do  not  wear  yourself  out  correcting  papers. 
It  is  necessary  that  pupils  should  have  daily 
practice.  It  is  not  necessary  that  everything 
they  write  should  be  corrected  and  returned. 

VI.  Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  giving 
much  time  to  the  writing  of  mere  sentences — "•  sen- 
tence-building''' sentences — nor  lose  sight  of  the 
fact  that  you  cannot  teach  composition  by  writ- 
ing disconnected  sentences.  Making  a  thousand 
finished  boards,  so  long  and  so  wide  and  so  thick, 
will  never  teach  a  man  how  to  build  a  house. 
Begin  with  continued  discourse,  w^ith  the  first 
book-lesson  the  child  has,  and  go  on  so  every  day. 


LESSON  PRESENTATION. 


IT  is  perhaps  needless  to  say  much  about  the 
teacher's  preparation  for  each  lesson  ;  to  his 
own  interest  and  readiness,  to  freshness  of  sub- 
ject and  expedient,  to  personal  enthusiasm,  must 
be  added  definite  preparation,  else  nothing  but  a 
half-hearted  attention,  resulting  in  weak  effort 
and  insipid  outcome,  can  be  expected. 

Complete  preparation,  then,  being  assumed  : 

I.  Prepare  your  class  for  work.  Secure  cleared 
desks,  arranged  writing  materials,  and  the  atti- 
tude of  attention. 

II.  By  means  of  a  page,  outlined  on  the  board, 
give  exact  directions  about  the  mechanics  of 
composition  :  margins,  beginnings  of  paragraphs, 
place  of  pupil's  name,  neatness,  and  folding, 
or  not  folding.  Insist  on  uniformity  and  exact- 
ness in  these  matters.  Do  not  allow  a  micro- 
scopic,.  or  pinched,  finger-stroke  style  of  hand- 
writing. In  general,  refuse  to  decipher  indistinct 
writing  of  any  kind. 

III.  Give  clearly  such  instruction  about  what 
you  wish  done,  and  such  examples  of  the  work 
required,  as  will  enable  the  slowest  and  dullest 
in  the  class  to  understand.  Give  these  but  once, 
at  each  new  lesson. 

ix 


X  LESSON  PRESENTATION. 

IV.  In  primary  classes  take  nothing  for  granted 
at  the  outset.  Teach  paragraphing  at  the  first, 
simply  by  saying  to  each  child  as  you  see  his 
work,  and  that  it  is  necessary  :  '^  Begin  a  new 
paragraph."  Write  often  at  the  board  before 
such  pupils,  until  paragraphing  becomes  a  matter 
of  feeling  and  habit. 


PART  I. 
CHAPTER  I. 

WORD    EXERCISES. 

THIS  exercise,  one  of  the  most  interesting 
and  suggestive  to  children,  is  available  for 
the  youngest  classes  as  well  as  for  High  School 
Seniors,  and  all  the  way  between.  It  is  always 
new,  arid,  giving  an  infinite  variety  of  ways  of 
saying,  helps  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  mind  at 
least  to  begin  to  express  themselves  in  writing. 

By  means  of  this  exercise  any  teacher  can  open 
the  way  to  interest  in  composition  writing ;  al- 
most any  class  can  be  led,  through  it,  to  more 
advanced  and  more  profitable  writing.  For  dis- 
closing to  the  child  himself  some  of  his  own 
powers,  and  some  of  the  pleasures  of  composi- 
tion (that  is,  making),  there  is  nothing  better. 

Select  at  random  (well-considered  random)  five 
or  six  words  from  the  reading-lesson  of  the  day, 
any  book  that  may  be  convenient,  or  from  your 
own  vocabulary,  at  pleasure.  At  first,  let  these 
be  such  words  as  the  child  uses,  or  knows  how  to 


12  PVORD  EXERCISES. 

use.  Write  at  the  board  before  the  class,  after 
the  list  has  been  written  in  a  column,  a  brief 
story,  made  up  at  the  moment,  or  in  the  previous 
preparation,  bringing  in  the  selected  words  natu- 
rally and  smoothly,  in  any  order.  Thus,  suppose 
the  list  of  words  to  be  : 


I. 

Basket. 

5.  Thistle-down 

2. 

Thunder. 

6.  Since. 

3. 

Afterwards. 

7.  Extravagant. 

4. 

Ribbon. 

8.  Sailing. 

9- 

Initials. 

The  written  result  might  be  as  follows  : 
"  Cousin  Mary  gave  Anne  a  piece  of  wide  yel- 
low ribbon  ;  Anne  thought  she  would  make  a 
pin-cushion  of  it  for  her  mother's  birthday.  But, 
since  she  had  been  so  extravagant  as  to  spend  all 
her  money  for  candy  as  soon  as  she  got  it, 
she  had  nothing  to  buy  the  other  materials  with. 
Looking  out  of  the  window  she  saw  clouds 
of  thistle-down  sailing  by  in  the  wind,  along  the 
edge  of  the  common,  and  gathering  in  puffy  heaps 
in  an  old  basket  that  lay  on  its  side  there.  '  Why/ 
she  thought,  *  that  will  be  just  the  thing  for  my 
cushion.*  So,  disregarding  the  thunder  that 
threatened  a  storm,  she  ran  out  and  gathered  up 
a  large  quantity  of  thistle-down,  sewed  the  rib- 
bon into  shape,  made  the  cushion  of  muslin,  filled 
it,  and  afterward  embroidered  on  the  outside  a 
thistle,  with  the  down  flying  off  its  puffy  head. 
Behind  this,   she  made  some  grass  stems  cross 


WORD  EXERCISES.  1 3 

each  other  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  the  initials 
of  her  mother's  name." 
Or,  again : 

1.  Gate.  5.  Kitten. 

2.  Toad.  6.  Quickly. 

3.  Three.  7.  Pie. 

4.  Now.  8.  Give. 
And  the  result : 

'^  I  had  a  fine  pie  made  of  three  large  apples 
which  I  found  in  the  garden  under  a  tree ;  I  was 
looking  for  my  kitten  there,  and  found  her  by 
the  back  gate  staring  at  a  great  toad  that  sat 
under  a  large  leaf,  winking.  If  I  had  the  pie 
now,  I  would  give  you  some  of  it,  but  Jenny, 
Kate,  and  I  ate  it  on  the  porch  in  the  shade  of 
the  hop-vine." 

Or,  once  more: 

1.  Cat.  3.  Ran. 

2.  Bad.  4.  Book. 

5.  Bread. 
And  the  result : 

''  I  have  a  cat ;  her  name  is  Fan.  A  bad  dog  bit 
heron  the  foot;  she  ran  to  me  and  sprang  on 
my  new  book.  I  gave  her  some  of  my  bread, 
and  then  I  laid  her  on  a  mat  by  the  fire." 

Now  give  a  new  list,  from  which  all  write. 
When  all  have  finished,  call  on  several  pupils,  or, 
if  possible,  all,  to  read.  Make  the  first  exercises 
short.  Limit  older  classes  to  five,  seven,  or  ten 
minutes  for  such  writing.     If  there  is  space  suffi- 


1 4  WORD  EXERCISES. 

cient,  allow  the  whole  class  to  write  at  the  board 
frequently.  Rapid  criticism  by  the  class,  well- 
managed,  will  be  of  great  service,  saving  time  for 
the  teacher  in  subsequent  exercises,  as  all  the 
commoner  mistakes  can  now  be  avoided. 

Having  made  the  first  lists  of  familiar  words, 
introduce,  after  the  first  four  or  ^yq^  lessons,  at 
least  one  which  the  reading-lesson  has  shown  to 
be  difficult  or  out  of  the  vocabulary  of  the  aver- 
age pupils.  Observation  will  show  that  many 
simple  words  of  their  text-books  are  meaningless 
to  them.  Occasionally,  also,  include  in  the  words 
selected  such  as  are  constantly  misused ;  as 
*' funny,''  '*  awful,''  '*  expect  "for  ''suspect,"  ''fix" 
for  "arrange,"  "loan"  for  "lend,"  and  the  like. 
Explain  the  proper  use  of  these. 

After  a  few  lessons,  give  longer  lists ;  substi- 
tute phrases  for  some  of  the  numbers,  thus : 

1.  Bonfire.  5.  Tormenting 

2.  Hungry.  6.  A  silk  sash. 

3.  With  angry  looks.      7.  Steadily, 

4.  Running  after  it.        8.  Grief. 

9.  One  by  one. 

In  primary  and  lower  grammar  grades  a  five  or 
ten-minute  exercise  of  this  kind  will  soon  show 
the  advantage  of  daily  writing.  Classes  of  all 
grades  gain  in  readiness  from  it. 

An  endless  variety  of  lessons  may  be  made 
from  modifications  of  this;  some  may  be  used 
to  test  the  knowledge   of  pupils   in  their  daily 


WORD  EXERCISER. 


n 


lessons;  for  example,  for  older  classes,  instead  of 
giving  the  words  directly,  require  each  to  write 
on  a  slip  of  paper  with  his  name,  after  the  fol- 
lowing directions  : 


WRITE. 

PUPIL    WRITES. 

I.  A  common  noun. 

I. 

Bush. 

2.  A  descriptive  adjective. 

2. 

Purple. 

3.  Adverb   (or  phrase)     of 

3. 

In  the  morning. 

time. 

4.  Conjunctive  adverb. 

4. 

When. 

5.  Past  participle. 

5. 

Written. 

6.  Abstract  noun. 

6. 

Wisdom. 

7.  Relative  pronoun. 

7. 

Whom. 

8.  Adverb  of  manner. 

8. 

Hastily. 

9.  Adjective  phrase. 

9. 

Of  blue  silk. 

:o.  An  exclamation. 

10. 

Pshaw ! 

Exchange  lists. 

For  younger  classes,  ' 

this  1 

list: 

WRITE. 

PUPIL   WRITES. 

I.  Name  of  a  color. 

I. 

Blue. 

2.   Name  of  a  kind  of  grain. 

2. 

Corn. 

3.  Words     expressing   dis- 

3. 

Half  a  mile. 

tance. 

4.  Name  of  dress  material. 

4. 

Lawn. 

5.  Name  of  flowering  plant. 

5. 

Hollyhock. 

6.  Words  expressing  time. 

6. 

To-morrow  afternoon, 

7.  Name  of  kitchen  utensil. 

7. 

Kettle. 

8.  Name  of  edged  tool. 

8. 

Ax. 

9.  Word   or  words  telling 

9. 

Quickly. 

how. 

[o.  Time  of  two  actions. 

10. 

Soon  after. 

Exchange  lists. 


1 6  WORD  EXERCISES. 

This  may  be  varied  each  time  by  using  other 
words  from  the  children's  common  stock. 

To  High  School  classes  and  the  grades  next 
below,  such  exercises  as  the  following  may  be 
given  : 

1.  Name  of  a  book  and  its       i.  The  "  Talisman." 

author.  — ScoTT. 

2.  Quotation — prose.  2.   "  A  man   is   what  he   is, 

not  what  he  has." 

3.  Two  verses  from  any  poet.       3.   "Acorns   ripe  down-pat- 

tering, 
While        the        Autumn 
breezes  sing." 

— Keats. 

4.  Word   introductory  to   a      4.  For. 

reason-clause. 

5.  A   word    used   in    poetry      5.  Ope. 

only. 

6.  A  geometrical  term.  6.   An  arc. 

7.  An  original  simile.  7.  Like,  etc. 

Exchange  (or  otherwise). 

Do  not  allow  pupils  to  think  that  they  have 
done  what  is  required  when  they  have  merely 
put  the  words  into  sentences  with  some  sort  of 
unnecessary  sense.  The  composition  should  be 
connected,  and  so  well  put  together  that  the 
words  seem  to  have  been  chosen  after  the  writing  ; 
and  it  should  contain  nothing  that  might  not  have 
been  true  within  the  limits  of  this  species  of 
fiction,  etc. 


WORD  EXERCISES.  1 7 

Exercises  from  Picture-  Words, 

Running.  Climbing. 

Flying.  Galloping. 

Whispering.  Digging. 

Whistling.  Calling. 

Crying.  Tumbling. 

Throwing.  Smashing. 

The  pupils  being  ready,  the  teacher  pronounces 
a  word  from  this  or  a  similar  list,  directing  each 
to  write  a  description  of  the  mental  picture  seen 
when  the  word  was  pronounced. 

Example: 

'  Running.  ^'  When  I  wrote  that  word  on  the 
board,  I  thought  of  a  horse  running  down  a  country 
road,  between  a  wood  and  a  field,  as  if  he  were 
going  home  ;  he  had  on  neither  bridle  nor  saddle  ; 
he  was  a  yellow  horse  with  a  white  mane  which 
rose  and  fell  in  the  wind  as  he  ran  ;  his  long  white 
tail  floated  out  on  the  air;  I  could  almost  hear 
the  fall  of  his  feet.  While  I  looked  at  him  he  ran 
into  an  open  gate,  up  a  lane,  into  a  yard.  What 
did  you  think  of  when  I  said  '  Running  '  ?  " 

Familiar  concrete  nouns  may  be  used  in  the 
same  way  : 

Cat.  Melon. 

Dinner.  Basket  of  peaches. 

Kite.  Pop-corn. 

Horse  and  wagon.  Mr.  —  (any  familiar  name). 


l8  WORD  EXERCISES. 

Example  : 

"  Now,  listen,  children  ;  I  am  going  to  say  the 
name  of  something,  or  some  one,  you  have  all 
seen.  You  will  all  think  of  something,  and  will 
see  a  picture  of  something.  I  want  you  to  write 
on  your  slates,  telling  what  you  thought  about, 
how  it  looked,  where  it  was,  whose  it  was,  how 
pretty  it  was,  and  what  it  was  doing  in  your 
thought.  Kitten,  Now,  write  (or  tell  orally) 
what  you  saw." 

To  upper  classes,  acquainted  somewhat  with 
books,  after  the  same  manner,  give  the  names  of 
historical  or  other  characters,  requiring  each  pupil 
to  write  the  particular  circumstances  connected 
with  the  character  which  came  to  his  mind  when 
the  name  was  pronounced  : 

Ivanhoe.  Columbus. 

Ichabod  Crane.  Marley's  Ghost. 

Harry  East  and  Tom  Brown.  King  Philip. 
Daniel  Boone.  Zachary  Taylor. 

Give  all  instructions  and  directions  before 
pronouncing  the  word  intended  for  the  class  in 
this  exercise. 

Names  of  celebrated  places,  or  objects,  or  those 
connected  with  remarkable  events,  may  be  soused 
as  to  make  the  exercises  serve  as  tests  of  geo- 
graphical and  other  knowledge.  The  pupils 
should  write  of  the  mental  picture,  and  not  merely 
of  remembered  facts  or  statements. 


IVORD  EXERCISES,  1 9 

Note  I.  These  exercises,  vvell-managea,  culti- 
vate ingenuity,  ease  of  expression,  and  readiness, 
and  add  to  the  vocabulary,  by  teaching  the  uses 
of  new  words  and  phrases.  They  give  confidence 
to  shy  and  timid  children,  and  encourage  free- 
dom of  expression  in  all. 

Note  II.  Observe  that  these  exercises  are  in- 
tended to  teach  the  child  how  to  express  zvhat  he 
already  knows.  He  has  several  years  of  knowl- 
edge at  his  command  ;  let  him  use  that  which  is 
familiar,  rather  than  try  to  write  about  what  is  as 
yet  unassimilated  and  strange. 

Note  III.  Commend  efforts  in  the  direction 
of  careful  arrangement  and  telling  much  in  few 
words. 

Note  IV.  A  frequent  five-minute  oral  exer- 
cise with  short  and  easy  lists  of  words  and 
phrases  (written  upon  the  board)  helps  to  culti- 
vate memory  and  consecutive  thinking.  Begin 
with  a  list  of  three  words  with  small  children. 


CHAPTER  II. 

PHRASES   AND   CLAUSES. 

SIMILAR  to  exercises  given  in  Chapter  I.  are 
the  following  : 
First.  Selecting  some  beginning  phrase  or 
clause,  as  **  Along  the  meadow-brook,"  "Just 
before  the  early  morning,"  *'  When  the  door 
opened,"  or  ''  As  I  walked  along  the  edge  of  the 
wood,"  say  to  the  pupils,  ready  with  pencil  and 
paper :  *'  Write  what  I  tell  you,"  giving  the  phrase 
or  clause  ;  then  direct  them  to  relate  whatever 
is  suggested  to  their  minds.  .     . 

Examples  : 

1.  Along  the  quiet  country  road. 

2.  Over  the  hills  in  the  distance. 

3.  While  I  sat  under  a  tree  reading. 

4.  After  resting  by  the  spring  for  an  hour. 

5.  Through  the  deserted  street. 

6.  In  the  thickets  of  the  forest. 

7.  With  axes  and  hammers. 

8.  Under  the  great  oak-tree  by  the  spring. 

9.  On  the  sandy  shore  of  the — 

10.  Near   a   mossy  log   which    lay  across  the 
brook. 

20 


PHRASES  AND  CLAUSES.  21 

11.  Down  in  the  orchard. 

12.  On  the  lower  branch  of  an — 

13.  When  I  heard  the  field  larks  singing. 

14.  Around  the  towers  of  the  church. 

15.  Among  the  pine-needles  that  lay  like  a 
thick  carpet  under  the  tree. 

From  this,  as  from  various  other  kinds  of  ex- 
ercises given  in  this  book,  may  be  made  general 
exercises,  thus  : 

(i.)  Write  upon  the  board  the  selected  phrase 
or  clause  ;  then,  standing  with  chalk  in  hand,  call 
on  the  pupils,  in  turn,  to  go  on  with  the  story, 
writing  what  each  gives,  rejecting  whatever  seems 
unsuited,  and  asking  for  something  better  from 
the  same  pupil,  until  the  story  is  finished.  Go 
over  the  whole  with  the  class,  correcting  as  they 
suggest,  but  making  no  comments  or  objections 
to  corrections  approved  by  the  class,  until  all  has 
been  done  with  the  composition  that  they  can 
do.  Afterward,  point  out  what  faults  remain 
unnoticed,  comment  on  the  quality,  etc. 

(2.)  Appoint  two  leaders  and  ask  the  class  to 
choose  sides;  give  a  clause,  phrase,  or  sentence; 
send  the  two  leaders  to  the  board,  and,  carefully 
directing  both  sides  so  as  to  prevent  confusion, 
let  each  side  write,  as  above,  each  leader  writing 
as  dictated  to  by  pupils  of  his  side,  always  in 
turn.  Limit  the  individual  dictations  to  a  phrase, 
clause,  or  sentence,  as  thought  best,  going  around 
rapidly  several  times  before    the  work  is  com- 


2  2  PHRASES  AND  CLAUSES. 

pleted.  Waste  no  time  waiting  for  slow  pupils. 
After  corrections  have  been  made,  first  by  the 
side  which  wrote,  secondly,  by  the  other  side, 
the  teacher  may  decide  which  is  really  the  better 
composition,  and  point  out  reasons  for  her  de- 
cision. 

Picture-Sentences, 

Certain  sentences,  as  those  which  follow,  sug- 
gest at  once  some  picture  to  the  mind.  After 
instructions  as  in  the  preceding  exercise,  let  this 
be  described,  always  with  the  effort  to  make  clear 
(i)  the  figures  represented  by  **  they,'*  and  (2)  the 
act  predicated. 

Exercise  {a,) : 

1.  They  crossed  the  bridge. 

2.  They  rested  by  the  spring. 

3.  They  played  under  the  walnut-trees. 

4.  They  looked  in  at  the   shop  windows  and 

wished — 

5.  They  gathered  wild  blackberries. 

6.  They  forded  the  river. 

7.  They  shook  the  pippin-tree. 

8.  They  ironed  their  aprons. 

9.  They  sat  on  the  porch,  sewing. 

10.  They  made  cakes  on  the  kitchen  table. 

11.  They  climbed  the  hill. 

12.  They  raked  hay  on  the  hillside. 

13.  They  sat  in  the  swing,  eating  apples. 

14.  They  sat  in  a  tree,  reading  a  book. 


PHRASES  AND  CLAUSES.  23 

15.  They  waded  in  the  brook  that  runs  through 

the  field. 

16.  They  quarreled  over  a  bird's-nest. 

17.  They  behaved  badly  in  the  steam-cars. 

18.  They  played  in  the  woods  by  the  pond. 

19.  They  all  tumbled  into  the  cart. 

20.  They  caught  fire-flies. 

Exercise  {b.) — Historical : 

1.  He  spread  his  velvet  cloak  in  the  mud.  r^e/-^^ 

2.  He  drew  lightning  from  the  clouds.  '^^x^^M^^^— 

3.  He  was  buried  in  the  Mississippi. 

4.  He  broke  Audubon's  beloved  violin,  chasing 

a  bat. 

5.  He  fiddled  while  Rome  burned.  V^-*^ 

6.  He  sat  on  the  ruins  of  Carthage. 

7.  He  drank  the  cup  of  hemlock  and  died5'^^'''*'^''^^ 

8.  He    wrote   the    "  Pilgrim's    Progress "    in 

prison.  ■.. 

9.  He  signed  the  Emancipation  Proclamation. 

10.  He  discovered  the  law  of  gravitation.  ?U/^ 

11.  He  received  the  Tables  of  the  Law.  ')i^^viM 

12.  He  interpreted  the  king's  dream. 

13.  He  painted  the  ''  Last  Supper.'*  ^'n-\Iv— . 

14.  He  was  lashed  to  the  mast. 

15.  He  translated  Dante. 

16.  He  discovered  the  Pacific,  a^^^^-^*^ 

17.  He  sought  the  fountain  of  youth. 

18.  He  was  called  "The  Lady"  at  college.  ^)'^''- 

19.  He  wrote  the  greatest  English  epic. 


CHAPTER  III. 

OBJECTS. 
Natural  Objects, 

FOR  this  kind  of  exercise  choose  some  natural 
object  common  to  the  region.  An  ear  of 
corn,  a  stalk  of  corn  with  ears,  roots,  and  tassel,  an 
apple,  a  grain  or  stalk  of  wheat,  a  cobblestone 
or  large  pebble,  a  blade  of  grass,  an  orange,  a 
potato  and  plant,  a  piece  of  wood,  a  section  of  a 
tree,  a  butterfly,  a  handful  of  earth,  etc.,  etc.,  are 
easily  obtained. 

The  first  lesson  should  be  conversational,  and 
the  facts  to  be  used  in  a  composition-lesson  to 
follow  should  be  mostly  obtained  from  the  chil- 
dren by  means  of  the  conversation  ;  they  may  be 
on  such  topics  as  the  origin,  uses,  history,  varie- 
ties, properties,  qualities,  parts,  their  uses,  their 
relation  to  the  whole,  and  growth  of  the  object 
selected. 

The  potato  and  all  other  garden  vegetables  are 
interesting  subjects  for  lessons,  and  can  be  made 
especially  so  by  means  of  drawings,  done  at  the 
lesson.     Most  city  children  know  nothing  of  these 

24 


OBJECTS.  25 

plants,  except  as  they  see  their  edible  parts  pre- 
pared for  the  table,  or  in  the  market. 

Example  : 

The  potato  plant ;  whole  plant,  with  large  and 
small  tubers,  roots  and  rootlets,  flowers  and  fruit, 
carefully  brought  to  the  schoolroom.  (See  Rus- 
kin's  *'Queen  of  the  Air,"  II.,  paragraphs  74-90.) 

The  second  lesson  on  the  same  object  concludes 
the  talk,  adds  new  facts  found  out  by  investigation, 
and  begins  arranging  and  writing  carefully  all  in- 
formation so  gained  in  the  form  of  a  composition. 
The  order  of  topics  may  be  placed  upon  the  board. 

The  third  lesson  may  be  an  invented  story,  in 
which  the  object  is  conspicuous. 

Note  I.  The  teacher  ought  to  know  more 
than  the  pupils  about  the  object ;  not  necessarily 
all  that  they  together  know. 

Note  II.  The  teacher  may  instruct  older  pupils 
to  read  for  information  on  certain  topics,  as  the  ori- 
gin and  history,  but  to  read  only — to  copy  nothing. 

Note  III.  After  several  lessons,  on  various 
objects,  require  pupils  to  arrange  their  paragraphs 
for  themselves. 

Manufactured  Objects, 

A  shoe,  a  piece  of  calico,  silk,  woolen  cloth,  or 

carpet  ;    a   knife,  a  pair  of   scissors,  a  needle,  a 

coin  ;  a  bottle,  a  pane  of  glass,  a  dish  ;  a  book  ;  a 

straw  hat,  a  button,  a  ring ;  a  hoe,  a  rake,  an  axe. 


26  OBJECTS. 

First,  Conversation,  as  above.  Examples  of 
questions  which  may  be  asked  ;  How  made  ?  For 
what  ?  Of  what  ?  By  whom  ?  Where  ?  When  ? 
Uses?  Whose  designs?  Fashions,  and  whose  ? 
Good  qualities?  Prices?  History  of  use  ?  How 
they  came  to  be  made,  perhaps  ?  Will  you  brrng 
specimens?     Make  drawings. 

Treat  as  the  natural  object  in  the  preceding 
pages,  so  far  as  practicable,  making  three  or  four 
lessons,  ending  with  an  invented  story  in  which 
the  object  is  of  importance. 

Note  I.  An  example  of  this  last  must  be 
given  at  the  board  by  the  teacher. 

Note  II.  A  beginning  may  be  made,  even  in 
very  young  classes,  of  writing  schemes  or  plans 
for  compositions  after  a  series  of  such  lessons. 
But  this  is  not  necessary  until  later.  If  the 
teacher  has  been  careful  to  train  the  pupils  to 
habits  of  order  in  thought  as  well  as  in  material 
surroundings,  there  will  be  no  very  great  need,  if 
any,  of  such  work.  Practice  and  feeling  will 
soon  make  such  method  almost  habit. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

LIVING     BEINGS. 
Domestic  Animals, 

BEGIN  with  the  familiar  domestic  animals ; 
otbain  from  the  pupils  in  the  first  lesson  all 
the  facts  they  know  about  the  one  selected  ;  add 
to  these  such  as  they  can  learn  by  close  and 
careful  questioning  and  by  observation  of  the 
living  animal  when  practicable.  (These  first 
lessons  are  not  necessarily  given  in  the  school- 
room.) Let  such  questioning  consider,  main- 
ly, external  characteristics :  notice  form,  color, 
size,  manner  of  walking,  manner  of  lying  down 
and  rising,  feet,  toes,  claws,  hoofs,  ears,  teeth 
(why  sharp,  or  otherwise  ?),  movements  of  the 
lower  jaw,  angle  of  spine  (vertical,  as  in  man  ? 
or  horizontal,  as  in  the  ox  ?)  shape  of  head, 
facial  angle,  skin,  covering  of  skin,  eyes,  eyelids 
and  pupils,  nose,  mouth,  tongue,  motions,  etc. 
Question  further  about  food,  habits,  intelligence, 
use  to  man,  place  in  nature,  kindred  animals, 
and  their  resemblances  to  this  and  differences 
from  it. 

At  the  next    lesson   or  lessons,  (i)   ask   for  a 
27 


28  LIVING  BEINGS. 

written  account  of  these  facts,  properly  arranged. 
(2.)  Add,  orally,  some  account  of  the  origin  and 
history  of  the  creature,  species,  varieties,  etc., 
for  which  consult  encyclopedias  and  works  on 
Natural  History.  (3.)  Use  also  whatever  knowl- 
edge the  pupils  have  about  other  animals  of  the 
same  family.  (4.)  Ask  for  true  stories  about 
their  own  or  their  neighbor's  animals  of  the  same 
kind.     (5.)  Finish  with  an  invented  story. 

Suggestions  :  Dog  (wolf,  fox) ;  cat  (tiger,  lion, 
leopard,  wild-cat) ;   horse,  cow,  pig,  sheep,  goat. 

In  hoofed  animals,  show  that  the  toes  are 
solidified  and  covered  with  horn,  and  why;  show 
the  extent  of  the  foot,  and  that  most  quadrupeds 
walk  on  their  toes  (that  is,  are  digitigrade) ;  name 
the  bones  of  the  legs  to  classes  familiar  with 
simple  facts  in  human  anatomy ;  show  the  dif- 
ferences between  the  feet  of  cats  and  dogs.  Call 
attention  to  the  modes  and  varieties  of  locomo- 
tion in  animals. 

Birds, 

,  Begin  with  an  object-lesson  on  the  common 
hen,  or  some  other  domestic  bird  well-used 
to  being  handled.  Find  out  all  that  is  known  by 
the  pupils  about  birds  in  general ;  if  practicable, 
see  with  them  wild  birds  or  birds  in  museums, 
and  study  the  types  of  the  orders,  and  their 
characteristics  (feet,  bill,  food,  habits,  plumage, 
eyes,  song);  the  birds  of  the  ground,  of  the  lower 


LIVING  BEINGS.  29 

air,  of  the  upper  air,  their  types  and  characteris- 
tics. Talk  at  some  length  about  the  uses  and 
offices  of  each  bird  studied. 

Other  topics  under  this  head  are  :  migrations, 
where  and  why,  nests,  nesting-places,  protective 
colors,  curious  habits  or  features,  songs,  our  duty 
to  protect  birds,  cage-birds,  wearing  bird-feathers 
as  ornaments. 

Treat  the  subject,  so  far  as  it  will  admit,  as  in 
the  preceding  exercise  of  this  chapter. 

In  preparation  for  this  work,  read,  as  time  al- 
lows, from  the  following  list  i"^ 

Longfellow's  ^^  The  Birds  of  Killingworth," 
**  The  Emperor's  Bird-nest,"  ''  The  Falcon  of  Ser 
Federigo." 

Lowell's  "  The  Falcon,"  ^*  The  Nightingale  in 
the  Study." 

Wordsworth's  ^*  The  Skylark,"  ''  The  Cuckoo." 

Shelley's  ''  The  Skylark." 

Keats's  "The  Nightingale." 

Ruskin's   *'  Love's  Meini^." 

Maurice  Thompson. 

John  Burroughs. 

Henry  D.  Thoreau's  *^  Excursions.'* 

The  Life  of  John  James  Au'dubon. 

*  The  following  list  and  all  subsequent  similar  ones  are 
given  as  suggestions  to  the  teacher  for  her  own  reading, 
not  for  reading  to  classes.  But  many  of  the  poems,  etc., 
are  such  as  can  be  used  in  various  i<inds  of  exercises. 


so  LIVING  BEINGS. 

bisects. 

Lessons  on  the  most  conspicuous  or  common 
insects  of  each  order  are  easily  prepared,  with  the 
aid  of  an  elementary  work  on  Entomology  ^  and  a 
pocket  magnifying-glass.  A  large  beetle  of  the 
locality,  the  honey  bee,  or  the  ant,  the  house-fly,  a 
butterfly,  a  dragon-fly,  a  grasshopper,  a  squash  bug, 
or  a  cicada  (so-called  locust),  will  each  give  material 
enough  for  several  lessons.  With  the  live  insect 
where  it  can  be  seen,  lead  the  pupils  to  observe 
the  kind  of  wings  and  their  number,  legs,  eyes, 
antennae,  their  relative  positions  and  attachment 
to  the  body  ;  the  three  regions  of  body.  Get 
what  information  is  possible  relating  to  the 
creature's  habits,  habitat,  etc.,  from  each  mem- 
ber of  the  class,  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole 
class.  Ask  for  other  facts  to  be  gathered  before 
the  next  lesson  by  observing  the  insects  in  their 
homes.  Before  any  writing  is  done  on  this  exer- 
cise put  upon  the  board  enlarged  drawings  of  the 
insect,  and  its  legs  and  wings.  These  may  be 
sketched  from  the  creature,  or,  if  done  by  the 
teacher,  they  may  be  copied  from  engravings. 
When  possible,  get  incomplete  forms,  showing  the 
life  of  the  insect  in  its  various  stages.  If  it  is  use- 
ful to  man,  in  what  way?  Harmful,  how  ?  Does 
it  make  anything  which  man  uses  ?     Is  anything 

*  Packard's  "  Elements  of  Entomology  "  is  a  good    book 
for  the  purpose. 


LIVING  BEINGS.  3 1 

made  of  it  or  its  products?  (Cochineal,  gum 
shellac,  nut-galls.)  When  studying  the  honey- 
bee, show  honeycomb,  filled  comb,  queen  cells, 
and  the  three  kinds  of  individuals  in  bee-col- 
onies, the  bees  themselves,  if  possible. 

After  all  has  been  learned  by  seeing,  that  can 
be  learned  with  profit  for  the  time  being,  and  has 
been  made  use  of  as  composition  material,  direct 
the  class  to  read,  or  read  to  them,  articles  on 
tiie  subject,  but  allow  nothing  to  be  copied  ;  the 
second  paper  may  be  the  reproduction  of  what 
they  have  so  gained.  Criticise  carefully  the  ar- 
rangement of  matter  in  both. 

A  third  paper  may  relate  stories  or  facts  given 
orally  by  the  teacher  from  her  own  reading  and 
observation.  If  the  interest  has  been  well  kept 
up,  make  a  fourth  exercise  the  oral  recital  of 
other  or  the  same  matter  ;  and  a  fifth,  an  in- 
vented story  in  which  the  insect  is  of  importance. 
(See  Chapter  VI.,  Exercise  2.) 

Read  the  latest  scientific  works,  only,  on  these 
subjects  ;  avoid  authorities  long  out  of  date. 

Other  living  forms  of  lower  intelligence  (though 
of  varying  structure)  may  be  had  in  almost  any 
region,  as  fish,  crayfish,  mussels,  snails,  slugs, 
starfish,  jelly-fish  or  spiders,  and  make  good  sub- 
jects of  this  kind.  Seaboard  schools  have  abun- 
dant material  among  those  just  mentioned.  City 
fish-markets  give  opportunities  for  observation  of 
the  various  fresh  and  salt  water  animals  used  as 


32  LIVING  BEINGS. 

food  ;  but  the  seashore  and  the  stream  are  the 
best  places  to  see  and  to  learn  about  these  things. 
Treat  whatever  may  be  chosen  for  study  in  a 
manner  similar  to  that  of  the  preceding  ex- 
amples ;  each  new  animal  studied  gives  additional 
material  to  be  used  in  the  lessons  on  Comparison. 
Call  attention  to  the  adaptation  to  their  mode  of 
life  of  corresponding  parts  in  the  animals  com- 
pared. (Grass-feeding  cud-chewers,  animals  that 
become  the  prey  of  carnivorous  beasts,  timid, 
etc.) 


CHAPTER  V. 

PLANTS   OF   THE    STREETS. 

IN  the  streets  of  most  country  towns,  even  of 
many  large  towns,  and  always  along  country 
roads,  plants  are  so  abundant  both  in  kind  and  in 
number,  that  they  afTord  excellent  material  for 
study  and  observation.  Even  with  little  or  no 
knowledge  of  botany,  other  than  that  derived 
from  ordinary  observation,  the  teacher  may  make 
these  interesting  to  children  and  young  people. 

Begin  with  a  conversation  about  some  common 
and  conspicuous  plant  (with  a  whole  plant  before 
each  pupil,  if  practicable).  Find  out,  first,  all 
that  is  known  by  the  class  about  the  plant ;  sec- 
ond, all  that  can  be  learned  by  looking,  tasting, 
smelling,  feeling  (as  in  hairy,  silky,  or  velvety 
species),  counting  the  parts,  observing  their  ar- 
rangement (as  of  the  leaves  on  the  stem  and  with 
relation  to  each  other,  the  relation  of  the  branches 
to  the  main  stalk),  and  the  colors  of  various  parts. 
Examine  the  stem,  leaves  (upper  and  under  side), 
roots,  buds,  flowers,  seeds,  etc.  Consider  the 
qualities,  as  bitter,  disagreeable,  useful,  trouble- 
some, medicinal,  ornamental,  pretty,  mucilagi- 
nous (as  common  mallow),  etc.,  etc.;  the  shapes  of 

33 


34  PLANTS  OF  THE  STREETS. 

parts,  stem,  root  (cross  sections,  also),  leaf,  etc.; 
insects  that  feed  on  the  plant  ;  the  seeds,  their 
peculiarities,  and  manner  of  spreading  (that  is, 
how  nature  contrives  to  plant  them  without 
crowding),  their  number,  and  why  so  many, 
probably?  curious  seeds  of  some  weeds,  called 
burrs. 

All  these  furnish  new  matter  for  thought  and 
writing.  Each  plant  thus  used  will  suggest  to 
the  teacher  more  than  is  given  here. 

Use  the  magnifying  glass,  and  make  drawings 
when  practicable. 

Examples  : 

Dog-fennel  (tradition  that  it  was  sown  through- 
out the  West  by  ''  Johnny  Appleseed/'  for 
whose  story  see  Harper  s  Magazine^  vol.  xliii., 
830);  Jamestown  weed  ("Jimson  weed,"  see 
extended  history  of  the  Jamestown  colony) ; 
rag-weed  (a  plant  related  to  the  hollyhock) ; 
mallows  (cultivated  plant  of  the  same  family)  ; 
Indian  mallow;  purslane;  creeping  grasses; 
duckweed  ;  thistles  (*'  thistle-down,  the  only 
ghost  of  flowers,"  T.  B.  Read  in  "  The  Closing 
Scene  ") ;  vervains  (verbena)  ;  smart-weed  ;  iron- 
weed  ;  bind-weed  (wild  morning-glorys)  ;  dande- 
lion (see  Lowell's  poem,  ^' The  Dandelion"); 
tar-weed  (California)  ;  mustard  ;  black  mustard  ; 
burdock;  sour-dock;  sorrel;  "pin-grass,"  etc., 
etc.     Speak  of  duty  to  destroy  troublesome  plants 


PLANTS  OF  THE  STREETS,  35 

that  spread  easily,  and  of  when  and  how  this  may 
be  done.  Make  drawings  of  hooks  of  burdock, 
carrier  of  dandelion  and  thistle,  '*  Spanish  nee- 
dle,** etc.  Read  Warner*s  *'  My  Summer  in  a 
Garden."  Consult  Gray's  **  Structural  Botany," 
"  Field  Botany,"  and  "  How  Plants  Grow,"  and 
Thoreau's   writings. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE     LANDSCAPE. 

INTRODUCE  the  subject,  as  in  preceding 
lessons,  by  a  conversation. 

If  the  teacher  has  acquaintance  with  a  certain 
brook  (or  other  stream),  and  John  has  also,  it  is 
the  fault  of  the  former,  if  some  good  talking  and 
satisfactory  writing  cannot  be  gotten  out  of  the 
mutual  knowledge.  John  will  probably  know 
more  about  it  than  the  teacher,  but  will  not,  per- 
haps, be  able  to  tell  so  well  what  he  knows. 

The  questions  which  open  and  direct  the  con- 
versation should  be  so  managed  as  to  suggest  the 
order  of  topics  for  writing. 

Example  i . — A  Brook  : 

Suggestions:  Source,  direction,  feeders. 
Things  likely  to  be  seen  along  it :  water  rats  and 
nests,  frogs  and  tad-poles,  shell  fish,  land  snails, 
cases  of  caddis  flies,  larvae  of  insects,  slugs, 
water-beetles,  water  birds,  water  spiders,  dragon 
flies,  fish,  ferns,  wild-flowers,  blackberry  bushes, 
tliickets,  water-plants,  trees,  logs,  stumps,  peb- 
bles, sand  and  rocks,  fishing  holes.  Things  to 
be  heard  :  running  water,  notes,  hum  of  insects, 

36 


THE  LANDSCAPE.  J7 

leaping  of  fish,  echoes,  song  of  the  brook  ;  brooks 
of  history;  (Tennyson's  **  The  Brook";  Lowell's 
prelude  to  Part  II.  of  *'  Sir  Launfal's  Vision  "; 
Whittier's  '*  Snowbound,"  lines  110-115).  Value 
of  a  brook   on  a  farm. 

In  preparing  for  these  lessons,  read,  as  far  as 
practicable,  this  list  :  Emerson's  **  Two  Rivers  "; 
Wordsworth's  three  poems  on  ''Yarrow"; 
Southey's  "  How  does  the  Water  come  down 
atLodore?";  Lowell's  "  The  Fountain,"  "Beaver 
Brook,"  and  "The  Fountain  of  Youth." 

Other  subjects  of  the  same  kind  :  A  wood- 
land, a  field,  a  mountain,  a  lake,  a  bay,  a  wooded 
hill,  shore  of  the  ocean,  a  thicket,  a  gorge,  a 
canon,  a  spring,  a  glen,  a  cliff,  a  prairie,  a  sandy 
plain  or  desert  (Nevada),  a  quarry,  a  large  soli- 
tary tree,  a  clump  of  trees,  a  waterfall. 

Use  only  such  of  these  as  are  familiar  through 
nearness  to  the  school  or  the  homes  of  the 
children. 

Example  2. — A  Tree  : 

Suggestions:  Name,  height  (calculated  by 
means  of  its  shadow  and  the  shadow  of  a  stake, 
or  approximated  by  intelligent  guess);  diameter 
three,  seven,  or  ten  feet  from  base  ;  branches, 
their  angle  with  the  trunk  ;  bark  and  its  color, 
thickness  and  general  appearance ;  shaft ;  roots 
and  their  extent,  lateral  root,  tap  root  (approxi- 
mated from  observation  of  the  roots  of  the  same 


38  THE  LANDSCAPE. 

kind  of  tree  blown  down)  ;  wood,  sap-wood,  heart- 
wood,  and  grain,  their  color  and  hardness ; 
probable  age  ;  aspect  in  winter,  summer,  autumn, 
spring ;  foliage  in  mass  ;  shape  of  tree  ;  shape  of 
leaves,  with  drawing  and  description  ;  fruit,  or 
seed,  and  flowers;  time  of  flowering  and  ripen- 
ing ;  buds  ;  habitat  (high  or  low,  moist  or  dry 
ground  ?) ;  shadow  of  the  tree,  shape  and  extent 
at  noon  in  midsummer. 

Example  3. — A  Tree  {continued) : 

After  the  tree  has  been  written  of  as  in  No.  2., 
let  it  be  considered  historically.  Probably  how 
old  ?  What  was  happening  when  it  was  a  sprout- 
ing seed  ?  From  its  locality  (Boston  Common  ; 
City  Hall  Plaza,  Oakland,  Cal. ;  Mound  Hill  Cem- 
etery, Eaton,  Ohio)  what  may  have  taken  place 
near  or  under  it?  (Suggestions:  Sir  Francis 
Drake,  Tecumseh,  Anthony  Wayne,  Gen.  St. 
Clair,  Gen.  Washington,  Cotton  Mather,  emi- 
grant wagons,  Indian  pow  wow.)  What  happens 
now?  (Boys  play,  people  stop  to  rest,  to  talk,  etc.) 

Note  I.  Sections  of  trees  may  be  easily  ob- 
tained when  trees  are  cut  in  the  neighborhood. 

Note  H.  These  are  some  of  the  topics  which 
may  serve  as  material  for  interesting  lessons. 
Use  such  of  them  at  a  lesson  as  are  most  available, 
but  do  not  attempt  too  much  at  one  time. 

Note  HI.  Do  not  ask  too  many  questions — 


THE  LANDSCAPE.  39 

merely   enough    to    keep    the    subject    well    in 
hand. 

Note  IV.  Do  not  talk   too  much  yourself— 
nor  too  little. 
Read  : 

1.  Wordsworth's  "Excursion,"  Book  VII. — 
beginning  ''Among  the  humbler  worthies,"  etc. 
to  ''  Now  from  the  living,"  etc. 

2.  Spenser's  '' Faery  Queene,"  Canto  I.,  8  and  9. 

3.  Rossetti's  ''  The  Leaf." 

4.  Whittier's  ''  The  Palm  Tree." 

5.  Jones  Very's  ''The  Tree." 

6.  Helen  Hunt  Jackson's  "  The  Hickory  Tree." 

7.  Lowell's  "The  Oak,"  "  Rhoecus,"  "  To  a 
Pine  Tree,"  and  '*  Under  the  Willows." 

8.  Emerson*s  "  Wood  Notes." 

9.  Bryant's  "  Among  the  Trees,"  "  The  Forest 
Hymn"  and  "  The  Planting  of  the  Apple  Tree." 

10.  Morris's  "  Woodman,  Spare  that  Tree." 

11.  Wordsworth's  "  The  Fir  Tree." 

12.  Chaucer's  "  Canterbury  Tales."  lines  2915- 
2940. 

13.  Ruskin's  "Trees." 

14.  Lowell's  "  The  Beggar." 

Example  4. — A  Field  : 

Suggestions  :  A  map  of  the  field  as  seen  from 
the  school  house,  or  as  remembered,  if  each  child 
selects  his  own  field  to  write  about.  Large  or 
small ;  level,  rolling,  or  hill  land  ;  fallow,  or  culti- 


40  THE  LANDSCAPE. 

vated,  or  pasture  for  flocks  or  herds ;  grain,  wild- 
flowers,  grasses,  or  weeds,  and  kinds ;  soil,  its 
color  and  quality,  what  adapted  for  ;  bushes  or 
trees,  stumps  and  rocks ;  fences  and  gates  ;  color 
in  the  difl"erent  seasons;  once  forest?  Moist 
spots  or  springs,  streams  ;  value  in  money  ;  value 
in  landscape,  whether  agreeable  or  commonplace, 
or  picturesque  ;  relation  to  the  remainder  of 
the  farm  ;  ill  or  well-cared  for,  clear  of  rubbish  ; 
ditches.     Suggestions    for  improvements. 

As  part  of  the  preparation  for  the  lesson  read 
from  this  list : 

"  Field  Notes,"  E.  R.  Sill. 

"'  Home  Thoughts  from  Abroad,"  Robert 
Browning. 

"  Excursions  "  (selections),  H.  D.  Thoreau. 

*^  The  Excursion,"  by  Wordsworth  (selections). 

*^  Michael,"  by  Wordsworth. 

*'Sir  Gibbie,"  by  George  Macdonald. 

Example  5. — A  Woodland: 

Suggestions :  Extent,  direction  of  greatest 
length  ;  kinds  of  trees,  mainly ;  other  kinds ; 
undergrowth  and  varieties  ;  flowers  and  vines  ; 
flowering  trees;  mosses  and  lichens;  wild  fruits 
and  nuts;  pools,  streams,  or  springs;  knolls  and 
hollows  ;  birds,  nests,  and  songs  ;  animals  and 
their  homes  and  food  ;  burrs  and  thorns  ;  edible 
roots,  barks,  shoots,  and  buds ;  insects  ;  aspect 
in  winter,  summer,  spring,  and  autumn  ;  probable 


THE  LANDSCAPE.  41 

age;  advantage  to  the  neighborhood  ;  fallen  trees 
and  stumps;  layers  of  old  leaves;  sprouting 
plants;  fungi;  wind  among  the  trees;  strange 
appearance  of  some  trees  (as  sycamore  or  button- 
ball,  white  walnut,  and  birch);  odors;  pleasant 
nooks  ;  "  trees  easy  to  climb  "  ;  ^*  fun  "  to  be  got 
out  of  the  forest;  natural  forest,  how  planted  ? 
artificial  forest,  how,  when,  for  what  ?  girth  of 
the  largest  trees ;  uses  of  the  forest ;  fire  in  the 
forest. 

Read  : 

Longfellow's  "  Evangeline  "  and  "  Hiawatha  *' 
(parts). 

Emerson's  ""  In  My  Garden," 

Thoreau's  '^  Maine  Woods." 

Maurice  Thompson's  ''  By- Ways  and  Bird 
Notes." 

Bryant's  *^  Inscription  for  an  Entrance  to  a 
Wood." 

Example  6. — A  canon  or  gorge  : 

Suggestions:  Extent,  length,  width,  and  direc- 
tion; formation,  by  water?  by  what  water? 
depth  ;  inclination  of  sides  ;  springs  ;  vegetation  ; 
rocks;  picturesqueness ;  animal  life;  historical 
possibilities  as  connected  with  the  life  of  man  ; 
temperature  as  compared  with  that  of  open,  level 
land  ;  effect  of  storms  on  it  ;  and  such  other 
topics  as  are  applicable  from  the  preceding 
examples, 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PHENOMENA   OF  NATURE. 

AS  this  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  kinds  of 
composition  for  young  children  and  young 
people,  it  should  not  be  attempted  until  after 
some  facility  has  been  acquired  by  practice  in 
simpler  kinds  of  writing.  Whatever  is  under- 
taken should  be  from  personal  observation. 
Many  of  the  more  ordinary  natural  occurrences, 
as  thunder-storms,  snow-storms,  high  winds  and 
the  like,  may  be  made  subjects  of  lessons,  imme- 
diately after  they  take  place.  In  the  introduc- 
tory conversation,  obtain  from  the  class  the  results 
of  their  observation  and  experience  in  the  rain, 
or  other  storm.  Ask  questions  concerning  the 
appearance  of  trees,  people,  animals,  houses, 
streets,  roads,  streams,  and  forests ;  about  the 
direction  of  the  wind,  the  temperature,  the  size 
of  the  drops,  the  sky  and  clouds,  the  distant 
hills  or  forests,  the  flower-gardens  and  fields. 

Suggestion :  Snow-storm  ;  storm  at  sea ; 
earthquake ;  flood ;  land-slide  ;  eclipse  of  the 
sun,  of  the  moon ;  shower  of  meteors ;  foggy 
day  ;  sprouting  of  grain,  or  other  seed ;  changes 

42 


PHENOMENA  OF  NA  TURE.  43 

of  caterpillar;  growth  of  a  tree,  from  an  acorn  ; 
freezing  of  a  stream  or  pond. 

Example  i. — Seed  sprouting  : 

Tie  tightly  a  round  piece  of  coarse  bobinet,  or 
"  wash  blonde,"  over  each  of  two  or  three  plain 
glass  goblets,  allowing  it  to  sag  in  the  middle  ; 
fill  the  glasses  with  water  until  it  just  reaches 
the  sagging  net ;  lay  in  each,  in  the  water  on  the 
net,  two  or  three  squash,  pumpkin,  pea,  or  any 
other  easily-sprouting,  large  seeds,  and  set  the 
glasses  in  a  window,  or  on  a  table  near  one.  Add 
more  water  as  evaporation  requires.  Soak  for  a 
day  or  two  large  squash  seeds  enough  for  the 
whole  class  to  have  one  apiece  ;  show  by  means 
of  these  the  seed-leaves,  the  little  germ,  and  the 
place  where  the  root  will  start  out.  Then  tell 
them  to  watch  the  seeds  in  the  glasses,  on  the 
net,  so  that  they  can  tell  what  happens,  when 
and  in  what  order.  If  practicable,  get  drawings 
of  each  stage  of  the  growth,  and  during  the 
time  have  a  little  journal  kept. 
Example  2. — Nut  sprouting :     - 

Fill  a  clear  jar  with  water  two-thirds  full  ; 
suspend  an  acorn,  or  other  large  nut  (native)  by 
a  string  over  a  stick,  so  that  it  touches  the  water. 
Set  in  the  school-room  where  the  children  can 
see  it. 
Example  3. —  Transformatiojt  of  Caterpillar  : 

Take  a  branch  of  dill,  parsley,  parsnip,  or  car- 


44  PHENOMENA  OF  NA  TURE. 

rot,  on  which  are  banded  green  caterpillars ; 
select  the  two  largest  of  these  ;  put  the  branch 
with  the  insects  into  a  large,  clean  fruit  or  other 
jar,  open  at  the  top.  Keep  luiwithered  branches 
and  leaves  constantly  in  the  jar,  removing  the 
caterpillars  each  time  to  the  fresh  branch  and 
throwing  out  the  old.  When  the  insects  stop 
feeding  and  begin  to  wander  about,  allow  them 
to  crawl  into  a  clean  jar  in  which  are  two  or 
three  dry  sticks  set  slanting  ;  tie  over  the  mouth 
of  the  jar  some  coarse  net,  until  they  settle 
on  the  sticks  ;  then  take  out  and  set  up  in  a 
vase  or  bottle,  so  that  the  metamorphosis  can 
be  seen.  The  insects  w^ill  remain  quiet  for  a  short 
time,  then  each  will  spin  two  threads  (one  pos- 
teriorly, and  one  around  the  forward  part  of  the 
body,  by  means  of  which  they  strap  themselves 
to  the  sticks),  and  again  remain  quiet  for  a  little 
while.  The  beginning  of  the  change  from  cater- 
pillar to  chrysalis  will  be  indicated  by  paleness  of 
the  green  skin,  and  a  curious  wTiggling  motion  ; 
the  change  will  then  take  place  in  a  few  minutes. 

The  transformation  from  the  chrysalis  to  the 
perfect  form  will  occur  in  eleven  days,  in  a  sunny 
place  ;  in  fourteen,  in  the  shade.  Or,  if  the  time 
of  the  first  change  be  late  in  the  summer,  the 
third  transformation  may  be  delayed  until  the  fol- 
lowing spring,  as  the  last  brood  of  this  species 
remains  in  the  chrysalis  state  through  the  winter. 

Dark,  spiny  caterpillars  found  feeding  on   wil- 


PHENOMENA  OF  NA  TURE.  45 

low  leaves  will  show  similar  changes.  Put  into 
a  jar  as  above  and  feed  on  fresh  willow-leaves. 
Some  differences  in  the  metamorphosis  will  be 
observed. 

Feed  two  or  three  silk-worms  in  the  school- 
room, if  mulberry  or  osage  orange  leaves  are  to 
be  had  near. 

Note.  Let  the  objective  point  in  this  exer- 
cise be  kept  in  sight  by  the  teacher ;  namely,  that 
the  pupils  are  to  learn  how  to  record  happenings 
in  the  actual  order  of  their  occurrence.  Insist  on 
accuracy. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

LOCAL     GEOGRAPHY. 

MAPS  of  the  surrounding  country,  farms,  bays, 
islands,  etc.,  within  the  school  region,  to- 
gether with  accounts  of  their  productions,  will 
make  interesting  work  for  most  classes.  Streams, 
springs,  hills,  and  mountains,  slope  of  land,  water- 
shed, quarries,  forests,  lakes,  ponds  (from  the 
standpoint  of  their  importance  to  the  country), 
their  relation  to  its  climate  and  productiveness, 
their  relative  position,  size,  altitude,  etc.,  are  en- 
tertaining topics,  easily  made  intelligible  even  to 
very  young  children,  and  tending,  as  do  most  nat- 
ural history  subjects,  to  cultivate  the  habit  of 
observing. 

With  a  weathercock,  rain-gauge,  thermometer 
and  barometer,  all  or  any  one  of  these,  interest 
in  many  natural  phenomena  is  easily  awakened, 
and  various  subjects  usually  considered  in  the 
study  of  Physical  Geography  are  made  somewhat 
familiar  to  young  children,  and  the  way  is  open  to 
later  and  broader  knowledge. 

Pupils  may  be  appointed  weekly,  in  turn,  to 
take  charge  of  the  instruments,  and  to  keep  at 
the  same  time   an  accurate  record  of  their  read- 

46 


LOCAL  GEOGRAPHY.  47 

ings.  Observations  of  clouds,  whether  high  or 
low,  kinds  and  direction  of  movement,  winds, 
rain-fall,  snow-fall,  temperature,  etc.,  are  easily- 
made  and  recorded.  Let  the  pupil  who  keeps 
the  record  of  changes  and  directions  of  winds 
take  observations  at  three  stated  times  each  day, 
and  particularly  at  such  other  times  as  marked 
changes  occur.  He  may  record  these  for  the 
benefit  of  the  class,  by  drawing  through  a  given 
center  a  line  showing  the  directions  from  which 
and  to  which  the  wind  blows  ;  thus,  ordinarily 
he  will  have  three  lines  marked  with  arrow-heads ; 
when  unusual  disturbances  occur,  he  may  add,  in 
colored  chalk,  the  necessary  lines  showing  these. 
All  of  these  records,  with  the  dates,  should  be 
kept  in  a  book  for  reference. 

The  rain-gauge  and  weathercock  can  be  manu- 
factured by  the  boys.  If  the  records  are  ac- 
curately kept,  instructive  comparisons  may  be 
made  after  great  storms. 

Ambitious  teachers,  well  situated  in  country- 
schools,  with  comparatively  few  pupils,  may  find 
it  possible  to  make  physical  or  relief  maps  in  the 
school-yard,  showing  thereby  river-systems,  moun^ 
tain  chains,  lake-systems,  water-sheds,  islands, 
etc.,  etc.  A  large,  level  yard,  sand,  stones,  earth, 
sod,  bits  of  broken  window  glass  (for  bottom  of 
lakes,  etc.),  blue  string  (rivers),  twigs,  clay,  etc., 
etc.,  answer  well  for  materials.  Make  railroad 
maps   of  broom-straws,  cut  into  .lengths,  of  fine 


4^  LOCAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

wire,  gravel,  common  pins,  etc.  Reproducing 
bits  of  their  own  region  thus,  then  telling  how 
they  did  it,  will  be  less  like  work  than  play. 

Details  concerning  vegetable  and  mineral  pro- 
ductions, native  animals,  domestic  animals,  curi- 
osities, manufactures,  shipping,  pleasant  places 
for  rambles — in  short,  the  natural  resources  of  any 
region  are  the  natural  materials  for  pupils  to  use 
in  gaining  knowledge  and  the  power  to  give  it  to 
others  in  oral  or  written  discourse.  No  such 
knowledge  can  be  had  without  observation 
investigation,  insight ;  the  spur  to  investigation 
need  not  be  very  sharp  when  once  the  way  has 
been  pointed  out. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

LOCAL    HISTORY. 

SUGGESTIONS:  This  city,  town,  village, 
^  county,  parish,  township,  district,  or  neigh- 
borhood was  settled  when  ?  By  whom  ?  Under 
what  circumstances,  and  for  what  reasons?  How 
did  the  earliest  settlers  live?  Who  was  the  most 
distinguished  among  them?  For  what  ?  When 
did  they  build  churches  and  school-houses  ?  Why 
were  they  obliged  to  have  a  jail,  or  prison  ?  Did 
they  have  whisky  saloons  before  they  had  a  prison  ? 
Who  were  their  best  men?  What  was  the  busi- 
ness of  their  best  men  ?  Were  any  of  them  dis- 
tinguished in  the  late  war?  Did  any  of  them  fall 
in  battle  ?  Who  and  at  what  battle?  Was  there 
any  learned  man  among  them  ?  Is  there  now 
living  any  distinguished  person  who  was  one  of 
these  settlers  ?  What  kind  of  schools  did  they 
have  at  first  ?  What  kind  have  they  now  ?  How 
many  more  people  are  there  here  now  than  at 
the  settlement  ?  If  the  place  has  more  people, 
why  has  it  increased?  If  fewer,  why?  Are  the 
people,  at  present,  agricultural,  commercial,  manu- 
facturing, or  mining?     Who  are  its  chief  public 

49 


50  LOCAL  HISTORY. 

officers?  Has  it  any  public  buildings?  What 
are  its  views  on  the  ^*  whisky  question?"  Has  it 
many  saloons  and  drunkards?  What  is  the  con- 
dition of  its  roads,  bridges,  water  supply,  drain- 
age? Is  it  a  healthy  place  to  live  in?  A  good 
place  for  boys  and  girls  ?     Etc.,  etc. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES. 

THIS  may  include  accounts  of  early  life  at 
home  and  at  school,  travels,  remarkable 
occurrences  and  sights,  places  of  interest  visited, 
and  any  recollections  of  early  life  that  a  child 
might  like  to  relate. 

In  many  schools  in  remote  country  districts 
the  children  have  not  been  out  of  the  neighbor- 
hood in  which  they  were  born.  Their  experiences 
have  been  confined  to  what  is  and  what  occurs 
in  their  own  region.  But  no  such  child-life  is  in 
itself  dull,  even  in  the  commonest  places.  The 
''  Sacred  air-cities  of  Hope  '*  are  as  likely  to  be 
built  on  such  foundation  as  anywhere  else.  The 
eye  of  youth,  a  magic  lens,  indeed,  turns  even 
Childe  Roland's  ^'  bit  of  stubbed  ground  "  into  a 
garden  ;  an  acorn-cup  is  a  golden  goblet ;  a  yellow 
leaf  will  do  for  a  flame  to  his  little  woodland  fire, 
when  real  fire  is  forbidden ;  two  chairs,  a  wooden 
box,  and  a  piece  of  tape  will  make  a  coach  and 
pair,  which  will  change  at  a  wish  to  an  express 
wagon  or  a  butcher's  cart. 

If,  now,  one  can  only  get  at  all  this  visionary 
51 


52  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES. 

life  as  the  child  is  leaving  it  for  that  which  we  call 
real! 

Dreams  that  have  made  definite  impression, 
pets,  dolls,  holidays  at  a  friend's  house,  play- 
days  in  a  garret  or  barn,  visits  to  the  country  or 
city,  picnics  (but  beware  of  introducing  this 
subject !),  nutting  parties,  etc.,  etc.,  will,  at  least, 
be  interesting  to  members  of  young  classes. 

Care  must  be  taken,  however,  in  such  lessons, 
that  unnecessary  and  uninteresting  detail  be 
avoided.  Children  of  the  unnoticing  and  more 
indolent  sorts  will  write  thus:  *'  We  started  on 
a  picnic  one  pleasant  morning  at  half-past  seven. 
We  took  the  train  to  Long  Wharf  at  8:io. 
From  there,  we  went  to  Angel  Island,  getting  in 
at  10:30.  We  rested  awhile  under  the  trees,  ate 
our  lunch,  which  we  enjoyed  very  much,  and 
started  back  at  3,  arriving  at,"  etc.,  etc.  Copy 
such  a  piece  of  writing  on  the  board  (never  fear 
but  you  will  get  such),  and  show  that  there  is 
really  nothing  in  such  a  paper,  and  that  the 
author  of  it  has  missed  telling — perhaps  missed 
seeing — anything  worth  knowing.  Such  a  day's 
pleasure  should  have  added  much  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  pupil  who  wrote  this;  but  if  it  did, 
no  one  knows  it. 

Get  from  the  class,  here,  some  expression  of 
what  might  have  been  of  interest.  There,  surely, 
were  the  views  from  the  island,  the  shipping  seen 
on  the  way,  the  touching  at  Alcatraz,  the  sight  of 


PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES.  53 

the  ocean,  the  view  of  San  Francisco,  the  bar- 
racks on  the  island,  the  soldiers,  the  road  around 
the  island,  the  rim  of  oak  and  laurel  trees,  and  the 
shrubs  and  vines. 

After  a  series  of  lessons  on  such  subjects,  the 
teacher  may  try  the  profitable  experiment  of 
going  with  the  class  to  some  place  of  interest 
within  easy  distance ;  through  the  day  she  should 
make  the  time  spent  as  interesting  as  possible,  by 
whatever  means  are  at  her  command  ;  games  new 
to  the  children  ;  a  story  told  under  a  tree  ;  climb- 
ing a  hill ;  search  for  some  rare  flower,  insect,  or 
animal ;  or  explanation  of  some  curious  thing 
found  (case  of  caddis-fly,  cocoon  of  spinning-moth, 
imperfect  forms  of  water  insects,  etc.). 

In  a  few  days  ^vj^  as  the  subject   for  the  day's 

lesson,  '*  Our  Excursion  to ,"  asking  the  class 

to  make  as  full  an  account  as  possible,  omitting 
nothing  they  can  remember.  Select  from  these 
five  or  six  of  the  best,  and,  without  comment, 
ask  the  authors  to  read  them  before  the  class, 
requiring  all  the  pupils  to  express  (i)  a  written 
opinion  of  the  six,  stating  which  is  best  and  why, 
and  (2)  written  criticisms  on  the  six. 

Remind  young  pupils  each  time  they  criticise 
a  paper  thus  that  the  paper,  not  the  author,  is  to 
be  considered. 

Visits  to  factory,  shop,  mill,  dairy,  water-works, 
salt-works,  oyster  beds,  brick-yards,  fisheries, 
mines,  canneries,  cattle-ranches,   fruit-farms,  col- 


54  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES. 

leges,  schools,  iron-works,  glass-works,  observa- 
tories will  be  sufficiently  suggestive  as  subjects 
of  this  kind. 

Many  of  these  can  be  made  much  more  inter- 
esting by  voluntary  illustrations  at  tlie  board,  or 
on  large  sheets  of  coarse  paper,  of  some  object, 
machinery,  or  what  not,  given  at  the  time  of 
reading.  Require  such  illustrations  occasionally 
from  all,  giving  subjects  suited  to  the  age  and 
capacity  of  the  class.  Make  this  easier  by  ex- 
ample, illustrating  at  some  convenient  time, 
Friday  afternoon,  perhaps,  both  by  some  simple 
apparatus  (made  or  brought  for  the  occasion)  and 
by  outline  drawing,  a  simple  piece  of  machinery, 
as  the  common  pump.  (Necessary  apparatus  for 
this :  a  common  large  hand-basin,  a  clean  glass 
fruit-jar,  and  two  or  three  feet  of  one-third  inch 
rubber  pipe.  Additional  helps  :  an  inch  of  candle 
and  matches,  a  common  tumbler,  a  saucer,  and  a 
leather  "  sucker,"  such  as  boys  lift  stones  with.) 
Make  a  large  outline  drawing  of  the  common 
pump  (outside  only),  before  beginning  the  lesson. 
Show,  by  experiments  (all  previously  tried  and 
made  to  work),  with  the  apparatus  mentioned, 
how  water  is  forced  up  into  the  jar  by  pressure  of 
outside  air  when  inside  air  has  been  exhausted 
by  the  flame.  Put  in  the  drawings  of  the  inte- 
rior of  the  pump,  at  the  end  of  the  lesson. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

BUILDING. 

ANY  child  is  likely  to  see  the  building  of  a 
house,  bridge,  fence,  barn,  shed,  road,  side- 
walk, flume,  ship,  or  wharf,  at  times  during  its 
construction.  He  can  scarcely  have  done  so 
without  learning  something  which  he  may  tell. 
The  name,  position,  use,  shapes,  dimension,  rela- 
tions to  other  parts,  of  the  rafters,  beams,  studding, 
flooring,  shingles,  laths,  sheeting,  casings,  sill, 
panels,  etc.,  etc.,  of  a  house,  the  materials  of  any 
structure  and  their  several  uses,  will  interest  most 
children,  if  any  one  who  knows  will  take  the 
trouble  to  show  and  explain  them. 

City  children  who  have  most  opportunity  to 
see  building  are  generally  ignorant  of  the  names 
of  the  most  common  timbers  used.  Inquiry  in 
a  city  class  studying  "  Evangeline  "  found  but 
two  or  three  boys  who  had  an  idea  of  what  was 
meant  by  gable  and  rafter.  Experiment  will 
show  that  this  was  not  a  case  of  uncommon 
ignorance. 
Example  : 

Come,  now,  let  us  build  a  house.  What  must 
we  do  first?  Decide  upon  the  place;  city,  coun- 
try, village,  suburb;  then  buy  the  ground,  choos- 

55 


5  6  BUILDING. 

ing  what  kind  of  frontage  ?  What  shall  be  our 
plan?  A  house  large  enough  for  how  many? 
We  must  find  a  builder  and  ask  about  the  proba- 
ble cost.  Shall  we  ''give  him  the  contract,"  or 
see  to  everything  ourselves?  What  other  men 
besides  the  builder  shall  we  need  to  consult  and 
employ?  What  kind  of  roof,  windows,  porches, 
front  door,  stair,  etc.,  etc.  ?  What  materials  shall 
we  buy,  and  where? 

Having  thus  obtained  a  knowledge  of  how 
much  the  pupils  know  about  these  matters,  add 
other  accurate  details,  and  ask  them  to  be  pre- 
pared to  answer  questions  on  these  new  facts. 
At  the  second  lesson,  continue  the  conversation, 
questioning  in  like  manner,  and  then  let  them 
begin  to  write  a  composition  about  *'  How  I 
would  Build  my  House." 

Other  subjects  of  the  same  kind :  "  A  Hot- 
house for  my  Flowers,"  ''  A  New  School-house," 
a  church,  a  plank  sidewalk,  a  camping-cabin,  a 
log-cabin,  a  barn,  a  bridge  over  a  brook. 

Read: 

Sill's  '*  Field-Notes,"  chapter  viii. 

Sill's  ''The  House  and  the  Heart." 

Lowell's  "  The  Dead  House." 

William  Black's  "  A  Princess  of  Thule." 

Longfellow's  "  The  Old  House  by  the  Lindens." 

Thoreau's  "Walden."  (Chapter  on  "Econ- 
omy.") 

Burns's  "  Cotter's  Saturday  Night." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE   SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

THE  approach  and  situation  of  the  school- 
house,  the  surroundings,  the  outside,  the 
inside,  (i)  as  they  are,  and  (2)  as  they  should  be, 
will  form  interesting  topics. 

What  could  we  do  ourselves  to  improve  our 
school-house  ?  For  country  schools  this  is  often 
a  very  important  question,  especially  if  the  lack 
of  interest  in  education  has  decreed  that  an  un- 
inviting, bare,  wooden  structure,  with  nothing 
attractive  in  itself  or  in  its  situation,  has  been 
made  the  educating-place  of  the  district. 

The  walls,  inside  and  out,  could  be  cleaned  and 
kept  clean  of  any  marring  ;  if  they  are  not  of 
bare,  rough,  unpainted  wood  and  are  clean,  they 
can  be  adorned  with  pictures  (good  wood-cuts 
from  Harper's  weeklies,  if  nothing  else  can  be 
had),  vases  of  flowers  (brown  earthen  fruit  jars, 
or  glasses),  large  pressed  ferns  tastefully  arranged, 
or  whatever  else  suitable  the  district  affords.  If 
they  are  of  unpainted  wood,  they  might  be  coated, 
above  the  blackboards,  and  out  of  the  reach  of 
rubbing,  with  whitewash  (tinting  it  gray  or  buff 
improves  the  effect,)  and  then    adorned  in  the 

57 


5^  THE  SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

same  way,  the  children  doing  most  of  the  work, 
under  supervision. 

The  grounds  can  be  improved,  at  least  to  the 
extent  of  clearing  away  and  keeping  away  all 
rubbish  and  litter  ;  mud-holes  can  be  filled  up 
or  drained,  so  that  there  is  some  appearance  of 
comfort  in  the  surroundings. 

However  that  may  be,  write  about  the  school- 
house  and  grounds  ;  and  perhaps  send  home  the 
result  of  the  work  to  be  shown  to  parents.  If 
there  are  any  pupils  in  the  school  who  have 
formerly  been  in  better  school-houses,  let  them 
add  a  comparison  to  their  papers.  A  reform  in 
the  district  notions  of  a  proper  school-house  will 
soon  build  the  school-house. 

Note.  With  a  dozen  or  so  borrowed  bed 
sheets  and  a  wagon-load  of  Woodivardia,  an  enter- 
prising teacher  once  transformed  a  dingy,  bare 
barn  of  a  school-house  into  a  surprising  fairy 
bower  for  a  Christmas  exhibition  day. 

Read: 

Whittier's  '^  In  School  Days." 

Eggleston's  ''  The  Hoosier  School-master." 

Goldsmith's  *'  The  Deserted  Village." 

Irving's  "  The  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow." 

Macdonald's  "  Alec  Forbes  of  Howglen." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

COMPARISONS. 

SIMPLE  exercises  in  comparing  familiar  ob- 
jects, as  two  leaves  of  different  kinds  and 
shapes,  a  beet  and  a  carrot,  a  peach  and  a  plum, 
an  apple  and  a  pear,  a  stone  and  a  piece  of  wood, 
may  be  made  valuable  in  cultivating  the  habit  of 
close  observation. 

Consider,  first,  points  of  likeness  ;  then,  corre-v 
sponding  qualities  ;  finally,  qualities  or  character-] 
istics  not  common  to  the  two  things,  if  such] 
exist. 

Suggestions  :  Materials  used  in  many  of  the 
preceding  exercises  serve  well  for  this.  The  fol- 
lowing are  good  for  beginning :  an  ear  of  corn 
and  an  ear  of  wheat ;  a  plant  of  oats  or  of  rye, 
barley,  or  corn.  Choose  such  only  as  are  some- 
what familiar  to  the  pupils  and  level  with  their 
capacity. 

Let  the  first  exercise  of  this  kind  illustrate  the 
general  method  to  be  used  in  making  compari- 
sons ;  pass  from  simple  natural  objects  to  those 
requiring  more  thought  and  study;  for  example, 
an  oak  tree  and  an  elm  tree  ;  a  pine  and  a  fir ;  a 

59 


6o  COMPARISONS. 

beech  and  a  maple ;  an  evergreen  oak  and  a 
eucalyptus. 

Use  manufactured  articles  in  the  same  way, 
choosing,  at  first,  things  of  the  same  genus  :  a 
wagon,  a  carriage  ;  a  spade,  a  hoe  ;  a  book,  a 
newspaper;  a  cap,  a  hat;  a  silver  cup,  a  china 
teacup. 

For  older  pupils,  select,  after  practice  in  such 
as  the  preceding,  very  different  kinds  of  com- 
parison, as,  for  example :  Appleton's  ''  First 
Reader,"  '' The  Eclectic  First  Reader  ";  Higgin- 
son*s  *'  History  of  the  United  States,"  Barnes's 
*' History  of  the  United  States";  Longfellow's 
*'  Evangeline,"  and  ''  The  Courtship  of  Miles 
Standish " ;  a  sonnet  of  Lowell,  and  a  sonnet 
of  Longfellow ;  any  two  odes  ;  any  two  elegies ; 
two  authors,  if  any  pupils  are  able  to  take  such 
a  subject. 

Other    subjects:    City  life  and  country  life;  a 

country  boy  and  a  city  boy  ;  a  country  home,  a 

city  home  ;  a   cooper   shop   and    a   tin    shop ;  a 

^  street  in  town  and  a  country  road ;  a  home  on 

the  mountain  and  a  home  in  the  valley. 

Read : 

Mrs.  Gildersleeve's  "  Mrs.  Lofty." 

Charles  Mackay's  ''  Cleon  and  L" 

Whittier's  '*  Among  the  Hills." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

DOMESTIC    MANUFACTURES. 

IN  country  districts,  especially,  but  also  in  town 
or  city  schools,  good  material  for  composition- 
writing  may  be  got  out  of  well-managed  lessons 
in  domestic  economy.  Most  children  in  such 
schools  already  know  in  a  practical  way  something 
of  the  manufacture  of  the  commoner  sorts  of  home- 
made articles,  as  bread,  butter,  cheese,  canned 
fruits,  jellies,  pickles,  rag-carpets  and  rugs,  patch- 
work quilts,  stockings,  and  other  clothing,  and  of 
mending  and  darning.  To  have  these  things 
talked  of  and  written  about,  and  then  illustrated 
by  actual  articles  brought  in  and  exhibited  as 
their  own  work,  will  give  pleasure  and  encourage- 
ment, besides  furnishing  opportunity  for  intelli- 
gent telling  of  processes.  For  the  country  girl 
to  see  her  friends,  among  them  her  teacher,  en- 
joying and  praising  a  loaf  of  bread  of  her  own 
making  and  butter  of  her  own  churning,  turns  a 
little  of  the  prose  of  making  it  into  poetry.  Nor 
is  the  idea  of  dignity  which  attaches  to  such 
work,  and  which  is  thus  seen  and  appreciated^  of 
small  value  to  her. 

When  it  is  proposed  to  use   this  material   for 
6i 


62  DOMESTIC    MAhWFAC'J'URES. 

composition  exercises,  introduce,  say,  the  sub- 
ject of  bread-materials.  In  one  or  two  of  the 
first  lessons  take  up  such  topics  as  the  bread 
grains,  their  manufacture  into  flour  and  meal  (illus- 
trate with  specimens),  of  bread-grains  in  other 
countries,  cost  of  a  loaf,  its  size  and  weight,  and 
what  determine  these;  specimens  of  grains  and 
plants  (which  treat  as  in  Chapter  III.).  When 
these,  or  such  of  these  as  are  chosen,  have  been 
disposed  of,  take  up  the  details  of  bread-mak- 
ing in  its  various  kinds.  What  is  good  bread  ? 
Poor  bread?  What  makes  the  difference?  Im- 
portance to  health  of  the  household  ?  Adulter- 
ation of  flour  and  bread. 

When  these,  together  with  others  that  may- 
occur  to  the  teacher,  have  been  exhausted,  re- 
cipes for  the  common  kinds  of  bread  may  be 
written  explicitly,  by  those  who  have  actually 
made  bread,  and  then  may  be  criticised  as  to 
clearness  by  the  class. 

Soon  after,  on  an  appointed  day,  pupils  may 
bring  specimens  of  their  own  making,  to  be  tested 
at  the  noon  luncheon.  Boys  may  do  this  as  well 
as  girls  and  not  be  harmed.  A  bread-exhibition 
on  a  Friday  afternoon  may  thus  add  something 
to  the  interest  of  exercises  of  another  nature, 
common  on  that  day  in  many  schools. 

Suggestions:  (i.)  Varieties  of  bread:  From 
yeast, — white,  graham,  rye,  corn-pone,  rolls,  rusk, 
coffee  cake*  "salt-rising";  griddle-cakes, — corn, 


DOMESTIC    MANUFACTURES.  63 

white,  graham,  buckwheat,  and  oatmeal ;  soda  bis- 
cuit, waffles,  muffins,  corn-bread,  etc. 

(2.)  After  lessons  in  descriptive  composition, 
the  literal  description  of  a  loaf  of  bread,  inside 
and  out,  may  be  attempted  (crust,  crumb,  shape, 
color,  odor,  general  appearance,  weight,  taste). 

(3.)  Other  subjects :  Butter-making,  jellies, 
jams,  preserves,  canned  fruits,  and  dried  fruits, 
pickles,  pies,  cakes,  puddings,  roast  meats,  broiled 
meats,  boiled  meats. 

An  imaginative  mind,  in  directing  these  exer- 
cises, if  fortified  with  practical  knowledge  of  the 
subjects,  may  get  some  very  pretty  story-sketches 
written  by  pupils  on  some  of  these  topics. 

Example. — Canning  Peaches  : 

Kate  and  John  help  mother ;  go  to  the 
orchard  for  peaches ;  beauties ;  odors ;  select 
fine  ones  for  mother  and  father;  back  porch; 
clean  aprons ;  John  puts  on  one  of  mother's 
aprons  ;  cut  yellow  peaches ;  great  white  bowl ; 
a  double  peach  ;  Kate  helps  to  prepare  the  jars 
with  hot  water,  etc.,  mother  goes  in  and  out, 
tells  a  story  of  peaches, — ''  When  1  was  a  little 
girl,*'  etc.,  etc. 

The  practical  telling  how  to  can  peaches  may 
precede  all  this,  or  it  may  be  omitted  entirely. 

(4.)  Mending  and  darning.  Necessary  articles 
with  which  to  work ;  how  to  put  on  a  patch  ;  to 
mend  a  plain  gingham,  or  other  plaid  ;  a  figured 


64  DOMESTIC    MANUFACTURES. 

calico,  a  white  dress,  or  other  garment  ;  a  rip,  a 
coat-sleeve,  a  fray,  a  burn,  etc.,  etc. 

How  to  darn  a  heel,  a  toe  ;  a  torn  cloth  coat, 
a  woolen  dress,  a  lace  curtain,  a  lace  frill,  a  knit 
shawl ;  French  darning  of  stockings  by  knitting 
in  new  to  replace  the  old,  worn-out  stitches. 

Specimens  of  this  work  and  also  of  ingenious 
methods  of  managing  accidental  damages  to 
good  garments  may  be  brought  in  and  shown  at 
recess  to  those  interested.  These,  as  some  of 
the  preceding  subjects,  may  be  ''romanced" 
about,  in  tlie  simple  way  possible  to  a  child's 
or  youth's  imagination. 

Note.  The  value  of  these  lessons  from  an 
ethical  point  of  view  is  not  small.  Where  the 
habit  of  observation  concerning  material  and 
external  things  is  wanting,  there  is  often  a  cor- 
responding lack  in  the  perception  of  those  con- 
ditions which  make  the  moral  and  spiritual 
environment.  Much  that  is  profitable  is  possible, 
therefore,  through  such  lessons  and  through  others 
which  are  founded  on  what  lies  near  to  the  child's 
life  on  the  side  of  the  feelings  and  affections. 

To  many  a  child,  all  belonging  to  home-life 
may  seem  too  commonplace  and  uninteresting  to 
write  about  ;  yet  to  many  a  thoughtless  son  and 
daughter  such  a  school-exercise  may  teach  the 
lesson  of  noticing  how  many  things  mother  does 
for  a  hitherto  unnoticing,  if  not  thankless,  child  ; 
of  appreciating  that  the  father,  who  clothes,  feeds. 


DOMESTIC    MANUFACTURES.  65 

educates,  and  often  indulges  his  child,  does  it  at 
cost  to  himself.  Lessons  of  home  politeness, 
kindness,  and  love  are  sure  to  come  out  of  the 
knowledge  that  in  the  homes  of  other  boys  and 
girls  these  are  a  part  of  life. 

Read  : 

Mrs.  Stowe's  *^  House  and  Home  Papers.** 

Longfellow's  "  The  Old  Clock  on  the  Stairs,'* 
''  The  Children's  Hour." 

Whittier's  ^'  Snowbound." 

John  Quincy  Adams's  ''  Man  wants  but   Little 
here  Below." 

The  Life  of  Hawthorne. 

Irving's  '' Abbotsford." 

George  Macdonald's  "  Warlock  of  Glen  War- 
lock." 

Wordsworth's  ''  Michael." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

HOME   PAPERS. 

(I.)  Description  of  a  room ;  the  pleasantest 
place  in  the  house;  the  kitchen;  the  out-look; 
the  yards ;  the  neighbors*  houses ;  *'  My  Room 
as  I  would  Like  it";  **  How  I  would  Furnish  my 
Room  if  I  had  a  Hundred  Dollars  "  (an  actual 
estimate  of  the  cost  of  things  by  finding  out  at 
shops,  included);  furnishing  a  house,  etc. 

(H.)  A  dinner  for  six — father,  mother,  grand- 
mother, three  children,  each  to  be  named.  Din- 
ing-room described  ;  table  outlined,  with  each 
plate  and  dish  drawn,  so  as  to  show  the  table- 
setting ;  table  furnishings,  food,-  conversation, 
interruptions,  serving,  manners,  etc. 

The  teacher  may,  or  may  not,  as  she  chooses, 
name  the  dishes  to  be  prepared. 

(HI.)  A  wholesome  breakfast  for  six  (the  same 
or  different  family,  in  each  composition).  Men- 
tion materials  for  the  dishes  ;  have  the  pupils  de- 
scribe dishes  and  their  preparation  so  far  as 
practicable;  draw  the  table  as  above,  and  give 
details  of  serving. 

(IV.)  A  good  school  luncheon  for  two,  neatly 
put  up. 

66 


HOME    PAPERS,  67 

Note. — The  teacher  is  again  reminded  that 
when  any  new  work  is  required,  the  pupils  should 
always  be  told  how  to  do  it,  if  they  need  to 
be,  but  never  otherwise.  In  general,  after  a  nnonth 
or  two,  classes  will  need  only  the  briefest  expla- 
nations, often  merely  hints. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

ORAL     COMPOSITION. 

CONSTANT  attention  should  be  given  to  the 
language  used  by  the  pupils  in  their  oral  reci- 
tations. Slovenly,  or  otherwise  faulty,  habits  of 
speaking  should  be  rooted  out  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  with  these  all  of  the  ordinary  errors  in 
grammar  and  diction.  (For  certain  kinds  of  mis- 
takes commonly  allowed  to  pass  unnoticed,  see 
Part  II.,  Chap.  XV.-)  As  an  aid  to  this,  give,  at 
intervals  throughout  every  month's  work,  oral 
exercises  in  which  even  the  youngest  child  may 
take  some  part.  As  he  sits  or  stands  at  his  desk, 
allow  him — or  encourage,  as  the  case  may  be — to 
talk  connectedly  about  some  place  or  thing  with 
which  he  is  familiar.  With  little  beginners, 
choose  some  subject  about  which  you  yourself 
know  little  or  nothing,  so  that  your  desire  for 
information  may  help  to  make  them  forget 
themselves  as  they  talk. 

Every  such  exercise  is  best  in  its  results  when 
the  pupils  are  wholly  at  their  ease.  It  should 
not,  indeed,  be  very  different  from  a  conversation 

68 


ORAL    COMPOSITION-,  69 

at  home  in  one's  own  parlor,  and,  wisely  used, 
can  be  made  an  excellent  aid  in  improving  man- 
ners and  morals. 

At  the  first  trial,  especially  in  older,  self-con- 
scious classes,  the  pupils  may  be  timid  and  irre- 
sponsive, but  a  few  attempts  will  be  likely  to 
encourage  all  to  speak,  if  the  subject  be  familiar. 
It  is  sometimes  well  to  let  the  work  take  the  form 
of  a  discussion,  or  to  plan  that  it  shall.  The 
same  exercise  may  be  continued  for  ten  minutes, 
daily,  until  all  have  spoken. 

As  the  conversation  or  discussion  goes  on,  the 
teacher  should  take  note  of  errors  made  \\\  speak- 
ing; in  some  early  future  lesson  on '^  Common 
Mistakes,"  these  should  be  mentioned,  with  the 
correct  expressions  for  them. 

Many  of  the  subjects  given  under  other  heads 
will  be  available  material  here ;  current  events  of 
importance,  both  foreign  and  domestic,  arc  espe- 
cially good.  But  indiscriminate  newspaper  read- 
ing should  not  be  encouraged ;  better  read  noth- 
ing than  everything  the  newspapers  contain.  In 
country  districts,  and,  indeed,  in  any  district, 
the  teacher  ought  to  be  an  authority  on  the 
subject  of  the  best  family  newspapers. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

GENERAL    SUGGESTIONS. 

I.  In  small  classes,  hear  every  pupil  read  his 
composition,  or  part  of  it,  every  day.  In  large 
classes,  call  for  the  reading  of  eight  or  ten, 
or  fewer,  at  each  lesson,  criticising  orally  such 
matters  as  may  be  noticed,  until  all  of  a  set  have 
been  read.  Let  this  occupy  only  a  part  of  each 
lesson-time.  But  do  not  call  for  the  reading  of 
a  whole  set  on  the  same  subject,  unless  there  is 
variety  in  its  treatment,  except  sometimes,  per- 
haps, in  classes  of  young  children. 

II.  Do  not  allow  pupils  to  make  again  and 
again  the  same  mistake  which  you  have  cor- 
rected in  their  papers.  See  that  they  get  the 
good  of  your  pains  with  their  work  ;  make  some 
memorandum  of  frequent  mistakes  of  individual 
pupils  who  are  careless ;  at  a  convenient  and 
proper  time,  call  their  attention  especially  to 
these.  (Examples :  *'  Mary  Brown,  *  Looks  like 
he  was,'  — third  time  "  ;  '^  Henry  Green,  '  Differ- 
ent than,'  second  time.") 

III.  Occasionally  copy,  or  cause  to  be  copied, 
upon  the  board,  short  compositions  which  are 
correct    in    spelling,    syntax,  punctuation,  capi- 

70 


GENERAL    SUGGESTIONS  71 

tals,  etc.,  etc.,  but  uninteresting,  full  of  platitudes, 
unnecessary  assertions,  and  spun-out  sentences. 
(Use  anonymously  old  papers  of  previous  term 
or  year.)  Draw  from  the  class  criticisms,  reasons 
why  these  are  dull,  etc.,  etc.,  but  lead  the  critics 
to  see,  first,  that  the  papers  are  correct  in  every 
particular;  and,  afterwards,  that  correct  writing 
is  not  necessarily  good  writing. 

IV.  Let  each  lesson-time  be  taken  up  partly 
with  reading  and  criticising  compositions  already 
prepared  (in  preceding  lesson-hours,  in  the 
school-room,  and  nowhere  else),  and  partly  with 
continuing  others  already  begun,  or  beginning 
new  ones. 

V.  Whatever  oral  criticism  is  done  by  the 
class  should  be  so  directed  as  to  prevent  hyper- 
criticism,  and  criticism  of  anything  else  than  the 
matter  and  writing.  The  feeling  that  all  learners 
make  mistakes  and  that  they  ought  to  be  grate- 
ful for  correction  should  be  one  of  the  first  les- 
sons learned  in  the  composition  class. 

VI.  Correct  always,  yourself,  the  mistakes 
made  by  young  children.  Indicate  by  signs  the 
nature  of  the  errors  in  the  exercises  of  older 
children,  and  require  them  to  correct  for  them- 
selves, each  his  own.  Occasionally  ask  each 
pupil  to  rise  at  his  desk,  after  having  received  a 
corrected  paper,  and  say  whether  he  understands 
all  the  markings  made,  and  whether  he  can  cor- 
rect according  to  them. 


72  GENERAL    SUGGESTIONS. 

VII.  Require  each  pupil  to  keep  a  book  in 
which  he  copies  such  of  his  compositions  as 
the  teacher  may  think  best,  perhaps  one  a 
week ;  the  books  to  be  inspected  monthly  or 
fortnightly. 

VIII.  Remember  that  all  young  pupils  need 
to  be  told  plainly,  once,  what  you  mean,  when 
introducing  any  new  kind  of  lesson.  Tell  a 
child,  for  example,  to  write  something  about 
"  Little  Chickens,"  and  leave  him  to  himself  to  do 
it.  A  blank  stare,  or  a  '*  I  don't  know  how  "  is 
what  may  be  naturally  expected.  Try  the  other 
plan  of  asking  questions,  and  talking  for  a  little 
while  on  the  subject,  until  the  children  see  what 
kind  of  things  they  may  write,  or  what  kind  of 
things  will  be  good  enough  to  write,  and  then  say: 
"  Now  write  me  something  about  *  Little  Chick- 
ens,' "  and  you  may  get  twenty  such  little  papers 
as  this : 

**  My  white  hen  Snowball  has  six  brown  chick- 
ens and  three  yellow  ones.  They  are  soft  as 
cotton  and  have  dear  little  red  feet.  The  hen 
lets  me  take  them  in  my  hand  if  I  stay  by  her, 
but  she  clucks  and  puts  her  head  up  to  see  what 
I  do.  I  guess  she  knows  I  could  not  hurt  such 
pretty  things.  The  little  brown  ones  have  fine 
black  stripes  on  the  sides  of  their  heads,  and  a 
broader  one  on  the  back.  Ned  says  they  look 
like  baby  quails.  The  yellow  chickens  will  be 
white  when  they  are  older.     They  are  like  Snow- 


GENERAL    SUGGESTIONS  73 

ball,  but  she  does  not  like  them  any  better,  or 
feed  them  any  more,  than  she  does  the  others. 

JENNY    GREY." 
Or: 

"  Ben  had  three  little  chickens  that  had  no 
hen-mamma.  He  gave  them  to  me.  I  keep 
them  in  the  yard,  in  a  box  that  has  no  bottom. 
When  I  feed  them,  they  run  under  my  hand  to 
get  warm.  Every  night,  I  put  them  into  a  bas- 
ket, and  cover  them  with  wool,  and  set  them  by 
the  fire;  if  they  get  cold,  they  cry,  and  I  have  to 
warm  them,  for  they  make  so  much  noise  I  can- 
not go  to  sleep.  I  have  named  one  of  them 
Dandelion,  one  of  them  Squeak,  and  the  other 
Ducky  Daddies,  because  it  always  steps  in  the 
water-dish.  ANNA    GREEN." 


PART    II. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PANTOMIMES. 

A  SIMPLE  little  play  in  dumb  show  affords 
good  material  for  training  in  accuracy  of 
detail  and  its  order.  With  the  exception  of  the 
names  of  those  acting,  nothing  is  to  be  left  to 
the  imagination  in  the  first  lesson,  but  the  whole 
is  to  be  a  literal  narrative  of  the  action.  In  the 
second,  dialogue  to  suit  the  action  is  to  be  in- 
vented. This  exercise  may  be  modified  or 
elaborated  to  serve  in  any  grade  from  the  Pri- 
mary to  the  High  School.  Little  lessons  in  the 
First  and  Second  Readers  will  lend  themselves 
admirably  to  this  use,  the  simple  lessons  being 
the  best  to  begin  with.  (McGuffey's  First  Reader, 
Lessons  XLIIL,  LIIL,  parts  of  LIX.,  and  LX., 
XXII.,  VIII.;  Second  Reader,  Lessons  I.,  II., 
XII.,  7-1 1.,  XVI.,  XX.,  XXXVIII.,  L.;  Apple- 
ton's  First  Reader,  Lessons  XXII.,  XXIII., 
XXVIII.,  XXXVI. ,  XVII.,  XVIII.  ;  Appleton's 
Second  Reader  ;  California  Series,  First  Reader 

74 


PANTOMIMES.  75 

Lessons,  6j,   72,   47  and  43.      Second    Reader, 
Lesson   15,  9,  i,  83,  and  75.) 

Examples  : 

(i.)  Lady,  winding  yarn  held  by  a  boy;  goes  to 
sleep;  another  boy  looks  in;  beckons;  holds  up 
apples  ;  shows  fish  line  and  pole,  etc.  Boy  tries 
to  get  yarn  off ;  tangles  it  ;  lady  wakes  up,  etc. 

(2.)  Mother  sewing  ;  daughter  reading ;  boy 
comes  in  whistling  ;  tosses  hat  under  table  ;  pulls 
girl's  hair ;  sits  on  stool  and  meddles  with  sew- 
ing-basket ;  upsets  it ;  teases  mother  for  cake  in 
drawer  ;  gets  it,  etc.,  etc. 

(3.)  Two  boys  sitting  on  a  fence  (backs  of 
chairs,  their  feet  on  a  board  laid  across  the  seats), 
eating  apples  and  reading  the  New  York  Weekly 
(supplied  for  the  occasion  by  the  teacher).  A 
girl  comes  along  with  a  book-bag  and  lunch 
basket ;  the  boys  jump  down  from  the  fence,  bow, 
and  hide  the  paper  behind  them  ;  give  the  girl 
apples.  The  girl  has  seen  the  paper  ;  begs  for  it, 
and  finally  gets  it ;  shows  by  gesture  and  expres- 
sion her  disapproval ;  ridicules  the  pictures  ;  holds 
it  up  to  tear  it,  and  as  if  to  make  the  boys  pro- 
mise not  to  read  it ;  shows  a  book  with  pictures, 
etc.,  very  interesting,  etc. ;  offers  it  to  them  ; 
tears  the  paper  into  bits,  the  boys  helping.  All 
go  off  to  school  together,  the  boys  carrying  the 
book-bag  and  lunch  basket. 

(4.)    Boy  sitting  by  table  working  examples  in 


7^  PANTOMIMED. 

arithmetic  ;  can't  make  them  come  right  ;  pulls 
his  hair,  frowns;  rubs  out;  tries  again;  grows 
angry;  slams  book  and  pencil  on  the  table;  tilts 
back  in  the  chair,  etc.  ;  tries  again  ;  pitches 
the  book  across  the  room  ;  snatches  his  hat  and 
a  base  ball  bat  and  runs  out  of  the  room.  Scene 
II. — School,  same  boy  at  the  black  board  ;  does 
not  know  his  lesson  ;  sent  to  his  seat,  etc.,  etc., 
with  any  variations  that  would  be  probable. 

(5.)  (For  High  School  and  upper  grammar 
grades.)  An  elementary  lesson  in  Physics  and 
an  experiment  in  Chemistry,  both  in  dumb  show, 
brief  and  clear. 

(6.)  (For  the  same.)  A  short  scene  from  the 
*'  Merchant  of  Venice,"  or  ''Julius  Caesar,"  acted 
in  character  without  words. 

After  such  lessons  in  higher  grades,  the  teacher 
might  say  :  *'  You  may  begin  a  composition  with 
these  w^ords :  '  It  was  Friday  afternoon  in  the 
*  Golden  River  '  school.  Miss  Brown,  the  teacher, 
sat  at  her  desk  writing  in  the  daily  register.  The 
scholars  also  were  all  quietly  busy,  looking  over 
the  exercises  which  they  were  about  to  recite.  As 
soon  as  two  o'clock  came — '  Now  you  may  go 
on  and  write  a  careful  account  of  this  afternoon's 
work." 

Note.  Let  every  such  lesson  be  an  attempt 
at  truth-telling  as  to  happenings,  order,  etc. 


CHAPTER  II. 

PICTURES. 

FOR  the  first  exercise  under  this  head,  choose 
a  large  engraving  of  as  good  a  kind  as 
possible,  and  hang  it  where  it  can  be  seen  by  the 
class.  Let  the  introductory  lesson  consist  of 
seeing  and  telling  what  is  in  the  picture,  with 
some  attempt  at  interpreting  its  meaning,  its 
title  being,  of  course,  unknown.  If  the  pupils  do 
not  see  all  or  most  that  is  literally  represented, 
by  question  and  suggestion  lead  them  to  notice 
what  they  have  omitted. 

Disregarding  the  original  intention  of  the 
picture,  talk  a  few  minutes  about  what  stories 
could  be  ''  made  up  "  to  fit  it ;  then  ask  for  a  trial 
of  what  can  be  done  in  this  way,  each  pupil  giv- 
ing names  to  the  persons,  place,  etc.,  represented. 
Next,  call  for  a  literal  description  of  the  picture, 
written  in  letter  form  to  a  friend. 

Large  photographs  of  celebrated  paintings, 
historical  and  mythical,  may  be  used  with  great 
advantage  ;  but  the  invented  narrative  in  this  case 
should  be  omitted  and  the  account  of  the  real 
story  substituted,  from  an  oral  version  or  rend- 
ing by  the  teacher.     (See  list  of  subjects,   page 

77 


7  8  PICTURES. 

130.)  Such  photographs  can  be  obtained  easily, 
without  great  expense,  from  the  Soule  Pho- 
tographic Co.,  338  Washington  Street,  Boston, 
or  from  any  good  picture  store. 

Small  good  woodcuts  from  old  magazines 
{Harper  s,  Century,  St.  Nicholas,  Harper  s  Weekly, 
etc.)  make  good  material  for  separate  subjects  of 
this  kind  for  each  member  of  the  class.  See  that 
the  cuts  are,  first,  good,  as  woodcuts,  or  as  what- 
ever else  they  are  supposed  to  be,  and,  second,  of 
suitable  subjects.  Before  these  are  to  be  used, 
select  as  many  pictures  as  there  are  pupils  in  the 
class,  cut  them  out  neatly,  without  titles,  and 
paste  each,  by  the  upper  ^^^^  only,  to  a  sheet 
of  foolscap  paper  near  the  top  of  the  first  page, 
leaving  room  for  a  name  to  be  written  above. 
At  the  lesson-hour  distribute  these;  have  each 
pupil  put  his  name  in  the  space  reserved  for  it 
and  then  write  a  story  to  suit  the  picture,  with 
the  aim  of  making  it  as  interesting  as  possible. 
Take  up  the  papers  at  the  end  of  the  time  and 
give  them  out  the  next  day,  and  every  day 
until  finished.  The  best  of  these  should  be  read 
to  the  class  by  the  writers,  but  without  distin- 
guishing them  as  the  best ;  or,  it  may  be  better 
in  some  classes  to  call  for  six  or  eight  in  the 
usual  manner. 

Note  I.  The  same  pictures  may  be  used  again 
and  again,  if  care  is  taken  in  putting  them  on  the 
sheets. 


PICTURES.  70 

Note  II.  If  the  teacher  has  not  already  found 
out  what  pupils  are  reading  unprofitable  or  harm- 
ful books  and  papers,  this  exercise  will  be  likely 
to  inform  her.  Much  may  be  done  for  individual 
pupils  by  means  of  knowledge  so  gained. 

Note  III.  Some  geographies  and  other  illus- 
trated text-books  contain  pictures,  on  the  cover 
as  well  as  inside,  which  may  be  used  in  this  way. 


CHAPTER  III. 

SCHOOL   READING-BOOKS. 

[NTELLIGENT  and  intelligible  reading  de- 
1  pends  primarily  on  understanding  the 
author's  meaning.  Every  child  should  be  helped 
in  learning  how  to  study  his  reading  lessons  in 
the  light  of  this  fact. 

The  first  reading  lessons  of  every  new  class 
should  be  studied  aloud  by  the  teacher  with  the 
class,  at  its  regular  recitation  time,  until  all  have 
learned  how  to  prepare  themselves.  Most  chil- 
dren imagine  that  reading  a  lesson  over  two  or 
three  times  as  mechanically  and  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible is  studying.  No  lesson  to  be  read  aloud 
should  be  given  until  after  two  or  three  days*  or 
a  week's  lessons  in  learning  how  to  study. 

What  is  commonly  meant  by  ''  elocution  " — 
the  showy,  theatrical,  unnatural,  posturing,  grim- 
acing recitation  of  pseudo-tragico-sentimental 
or  sensational  ''  poems  which  contain  enough 
action" — should  have  no  place  in  the  school-room  ; 
but  reading  should  never  be  sacrificed  to  arithe- 
metic,  grammar — so-called — or  anything  else,  as 
is  generally  the  practice,  especially  in  the  upper 

80 


SCHOOL  READING-BOOKS.  8l 

grades  of  city  schools.  A  good  vocabulary,  dis- 
tinct enunciation,  pure  tones,  correct  pronunci- 
ation, and  natural  expression  and  attitude  are 
within  the  compass  of  public  school  training  and 
should  be  among  its  distinct  aims  and  achieve- 
ments. 

Light  reading  from  some  well-written,  enter- 
taining book  may  alternate  with  reading-book 
lessons,  if  reading-books  must  be  used  at  all. 

Most  graded  reading-books  are  really  "  over 
the  heads  "  of  average  school  children,  owing  to 
the  lack  in  the  child's  vocabulary,  which  contains 
few  words  other  than  those  of  the  play-ground 
and  of  every-day  life  at  home.  It  would  be 
well  if  other  books  could  be  substituted  for 
many  or  most  of  these,  but  since,  in  most  public 
schools,  they  are  prescribed,  they  must  be  kept  ; 
a  careful  and  wise  use  of  them  may  make  them 
valuable.  Keep  in  view  the  fact  that  good  read- 
ing is  the  expression  by  the  voice,  and  its  ad- 
juncts in  expression,  of  an  author's  thought. 
Attending  by  rule  to  slides  and  pauses,  inflec- 
tion and  emphasis  will  never  make  good  readers 
any  more  than  fitting  sentences  to  diagrams 
will  make  the  construction  of  the  English 
language  understood  by  anybody.  When  a 
youth  knows  the  laws  of  English  construction,  he 
may  briefly  show  this  by  use  of  a  diagram ;  to 
begin  the  other  way  is  an  absurdity.  When  a 
child  understands  a  thought,  and  knows  perfectly 


82  SCHOOL  READING-BOOKS, 

the  words  that  express  it,  he  will  pause,  empha- 
size and  gesticulate  correctly,  that  is,    naturally. 

Exercises  from  Reading-Books  : 

I.  Select  from  the  reading-book  in  use  in  the 
school  a  simple  narrative  lesson  which  has  been 
read  by  all  the  class.  Write  upon  the  board  the 
first  paragraph,  as  thus :  ^'  One  day  Willie's 
father  saw  a  boy  at  the  market  with  four  little 
white  rabbits  in  a  basket,"  etc.  (McGuffey's  First 
Reader,  Lesson  LIV.) 

**  One  day."  What  other  words  could  we  use 
that  would  tell  the  time  in  which  something  has 
happened  ? 

*'  One  morning,  one  evening,  one  time,  yester- 
day, this  morning,  last  night,  this  afternoon,  yes- 
terday afternoon,  etc."  (Write  the  answers  given 
in  columns.) 

"  Willie's  father."  Whose  father  ?  Give  some 
other  names. 

"  John's,  Mary's,  Kittie's,  Annie's,"  etc.  (Write 
as  above,  and  treat  in  the  same  way  the  follow- 
ing-) 

"  What  other  of  Willie's  friends  or  relations 
might  have  seen  a  boy?  " 

"  Brother,  uncle,  sister,  aunt,  cousin,  mother, 
grandfather." 

"  Saw  whom  ?     Might  have  seen  ?  " 

"A  man,  a  girl,  a  woman,  a  child,  a  youth,  a 
lad,  an  Indian,"  etc. 


SCHOOL  READING-BOOKS,  83 

"  At  what  other  places  might  the  boy  have  been 
seen?'* 

"  In  the  street,  on  the  road,  in  the  woods,  in 
the  field,  in  the  lane,  in  the  yard,  by  the  gate,  in 
a  wagon,  in  a  store,  in  a  grocery,  on  the  side- 
walk," etc. 

**  Saw  a  boy  with — what  else  might  the  boy 
have  had  ? '' 

"  Chickens,  doves,  ducks,  white  mice,  fish,  kit- 
tens, puppies,  peaches,  pears,  boxes  of  candy, 
squashes,  dolls,"  etc. 

*^  How  many?" 

"A  great  many,  three,  five,  ever  so  many,  six, 
a  few,"  etc. 

^^  Of  what  color?" 

"•  Black,  black  and  white,  yellow,  gray,  red, 
etc." 

"  In  what  else  might  they  have  been?" 

**  In  a  box,  a  bag,  a  cage,  a  hamper,  \\\  his 
hands,  in  his  lap,  in  a  hat,  in  a  cap,  in  a  dish." 

Repeat  this  exercise  several  times,  taking  a  new 
paragraph  at  each  lesson.  Then  with  the  words 
and  phrases  taken  in  the  order  of  the  original 
paragraph,  write,  with  the  assistance  and  sugges- 
tions of  the  class,  a  new  paragraph,  modeled  on  it. 

"  One  morning  Mary's  grandfather  saw  a  girl 
by  the  gate  with  six  white  mice  \x\  a,  box." 

Follow  this  with  others  made  from  the  same 
exercise.  Sometimes  try  to  see  how  many  varia- 
tions of  the  story  in  the  given  paragraph  can  be 


34  SCHOOL  READING-BOOKS. 

made,  using  the  words  and   phrases  suggested  by 
the  class. 

II.  After  some  degree  of  readiness  in  changing 
and  suggesting  has  been  attained,  take  a  suitable 
short  story  in  the  same  way,  going  through  the 
whole  of  it  at  the  board,  in  several  successive 
lessons.  (Lessons  LIV.,  XLVIL,  XXVI.,  Mc 
Guffey's  First  Reader;  Lessons  XVIL,  XVIIL, 
XXIV.,  VI.,  Appleton's  First  Reader ;  Lesson 
LXVL,  McGuffey's  Second  Reader;  Lessons  86, 
88,  and  75,  California  Series,  First  Reader;  Les- 
sons 38,  39,  and  59,  Second  Reader.) 

Finally,  require  the  pupils  to  write  the  whole, 
each  using  the  changed  phrases  and  words,  so  as 
to  make  a  new  story. 

Select  at  another  lesson  a  new  story  and  re- 
quire the  pupils  to  do  all  the  work,  each  writing 
his  own  story  as  above. 

Many  of  the  short,  simple  poems  in  the  First 
and  Second  Readers  may  serve  the  same  purpose. 

III.  Without  saying  anything  about  verbs,  or 
using  any  other  technical  terms,  begin  as  early  as 
in  First  Reader  lessons,  to  change  the  tenses  of 
verbs  in  sentences,  thus  (Lesson  XXV.,  Apple- 
ton's  First  Reader) : 

*^  Harry  has  seen  the  nest." 
**  How  would  you   say  that  Harry  is  looking 
at  the  nest  now  ?  " 

*'  Harry  sees  the  nest." 

*^  That  he  was  looking  at  it  yesterday  ?  '* 


SCHOOL  READING-BOOKS.  85 

**  Harry  saw  the  nest." 

"  That  he  will  be  looking  at  it  to-morrow  ?** 

*'  Harry  will  see  the  nest." 

*'  That  nobody  shall  hinder  him  from  looking 
at  it  to-morrow?" 

*'  Harry  shall  see  the  nest." 

''  That  perhaps  he  will  look  at  it  to-morrow  ?  " 

*'  Harry  may  see  the  nest." 

"  How  would  you  ask  whether  he  will  be  al- 
lowed to  see  it  to-morrow  ?  " 

""  May  Harry  see  the  nest  ?  *' 

''  Whether  he  will  be  able  to  see  it  ?  " 

**  Can  Harry  see  the  nest  ?  " 

''  Whether  it  would  be  right  for  him  to  see  it  ?  " 

"Ought  Harry  to  see  the  nest  ?  " 

*^  How  would  you  say,  using  other  words,  that 
Harry  ought  to  see  the  nest  ?  " 

"  Harry  should  see  the  nest." 

"  How  would  you  tell  that  Harry  had  been 
looking  at  the  nest  before  you  went  to  see   it?" 

*'  Harry  had  seen  the  nest  before  I  went  to  see 
it." 

"  That  you  mean  that  he  shall  see  it  ?  " 

**  Harry  must  see  the  nest,"  etc.,  etc. 

In  this  way  all  the  mode  and  tense  forms  of 
any  verbs  that  a  child  may  use  before  he  can 
study  grammatical  terms  and  definitions  intelli- 
gibly and  advantageously  (which  generally  is  not 
much  under  fourteen  years  of  age),  may  be  made 
perfectly  familiar  to  him,  practically.     The  idea 


86  SCHOOL  READING-BOOKS. 

of  time  and  manner  will  be  so  developed  as  to 
leave  little  besides  classification  to  be  done,  when 
the  time  comes  for  learning  technicalities,  if  it 
must  come.  And  this  will  be  a  clear  gain  of 
time,  labor,  and  feeling. 

IV.  ''  Here  in  your  reading-book  is  the  picture 
of  some  children  gathering  apples.  What  kind 
of  apples  do  you  suppose  they  are?  Ripe  or  un- 
ripe, green,  yellow,  red,  striped,  rosy,  russet,  hard, 
soft,  juicy,  sweet,  sour,  tough,  round,  oval,  fiat,  long- 
stemmed,  short-stemmed,  pink-cheeked,  knotty, 
smooth,  rough-skinned,  withered,  frost-bitten, 
frozen,  mealy, — yes  they  might  be  any  of  these, 
perhaps,  but  which  do  you  think  they  are  ?  But 
what  do  all  these  words  that  you  have  thought 
of  tell?  They  tell  what  kind  of  apples  these 
may  be."  In  prose  the  words  are  in  their  natural 
order,  so  that  very  little  of"  this  exercise  is 
needed.  But  Third  and  Fourth  Readers  have 
many  short  metrical  lessons  which  contain  the 
usual  inversions,  always  perplexing  at  first  to 
children.  When  such  selections  are  used  as  read- 
ing-lessons, prepare  the  way  for  a  clear  under- 
standing of  the  matter  contained  in  them  by 
reading  the  inverted  passages  in  their  natural 
order,  calling  attention  to  them  when  the  lesson 
is  assigned.  This  exercise  is  sometimes  called 
*'  metaphrasing." 

V.  (a)  Select  from  the  reading-book,  or  from 
any  convenient  book,  some  familiar  lesson,  either 


SCHOOL  READING-BOOKS.  87 

prose  or  verse  ;  after  showing  how  a  dialogue  can 
be  made  of  it,  by  writing  the  beginning  of  one  be- 
fore the  class,  choose  another  similar  lesson  and 
ask  for  the  sense  of  it  in  dialogue  form  with  as 
many  persons  as  the  nature  of  the  story  demands. 

{b)  Use  a  short  rhythmical  story  in  the  same 
way,  and  {c)  a  piece  of  description,  selected  from 
the  reading-books. 

{d)  Pictures  such,  as  are  to  be  used  in  Chapter 
II.,  Part  II.,  are  easily  made  to  suggest  subjects 
for  dialogues. 

(e)  Almost  any  reading  lesson,  in  parts,  or  as  a 
whole,  can  be  used  as  the  basis  of  such  a  lesson. 
Geography,  History,  and  even  Arithmetic  lessons 
may  be  pressed,  also,  into  this  service,  and  often 
with  surprising  results. 

(/)  It  will  be  easy  to  pass  from  these  to  origi- 
nal dialogues  on  subjects  selected  from  the  pages 
preceding  this  or  from  the  lists  at  the  end  of  the 
book.  Two  pupils  may  write  together,  each  writ- 
ing the  part  of  one  speaker. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PARAPHRASING. 

THIS  kind  of  writing  should  begin  very  early, 
in  a  simple  way,  after  metaphrasing  has 
become  a  familiar  exercise. 

The  first  paraphrasing  is  necessarily  literal  and  is 
easily  learned  if  preceded  by  a  lesson  in  synonyms."^ 

Write  upon  the  board  a  short  extract  from 
some  familiar  poem,  or  other  writing,  selected 
from  the  reading-book.  Placing  the  principal 
words  conveniently,  write  under  each,  as  the 
children  give  them,  synonymous  words  and  ex- 
pressions, as  in  the  following  from  Longfellow  : 

"  Tell  me  not  in  mournful  numbers 
Life  is  but  an  empty  dream  ! 
For  the  soul  is  dead  that  slumbers, 
And  things  are  not  what  they  seem." 


Tell 

Mournful, 

Numbers, 

say. 

sad, 

verses. 

inform. 

sorrowful, 

words, 

melancholy, 

language , 

troubled. 

song, 
tones. 

*  The  author  is  indebted  to  Miss  F.  de  Laguna,  teacher  of 
English  Literature  in  the  Sacramento  High  School,  for  this 
simple  method  of  beginning  with  paraphrases. 


PA  RA  FHRA  SING,  89 


But, 

Empty, 

Dream, 

only, 

meaningless. 

vision. 

just, 

hollow, 

unreality, 

merely, 

untrue, 

appearance, 

nothing  except. 

vain. 

worthless. 

For, 

Soul, 

Dead, 

Slumbers, 

because, 

spirit. 

without  life. 

sleeps. 

since. 

human 

being,   lifeless, 

dreams. 

as. 

creature,            not  alive. 

lies  inactive. 

man. 

not  living. 

does  nothing. 

Now  write  a  new  sentence,  using  words  chosen 
from  these  synonyms,  thus : 

'*  Say  not  to  me  in  sorrowful  tones  that  life  is 
nothing  except  a  worthless  unreality,  because  I 
know  that  the  man  who  dreams  away  his  time  is 
not  truly  living.** 

This  may  seem  like  taking  unwarranted  liberties 
with  language,  but  it  will  be  found  to  be  a  very  use- 
ful first  step  to  translating  the  language  of  books 
into  other  words  temporarily,  for  the  sake  of 
gaining  an  elastic  and  ready  vocabulary.  It  has, 
in  some  degree,  a  similar  value  to  that  of  trans- 
lating from  one  language  to  another. 

Follow  this  blackboard  exercise  (i)  with  others 
of  the  same  kind  for  two  or  three  lessons,  requir- 
ing the  class  to  practice  writing  paraphrases, 
making  several  from  the  same  set  of  words,  and 
reading  them  aloud  in  turn  ;  (2)  with  others  in 
which  the  'pupils  choose  their  own  synonyms,  in- 


90  PARAPHRASING. 

dividually,  also  making  several  paraphrases  from 
these,  and  determining  which  comes  nearest  to 
expressing  the  ideas  of  the  original  ;  and  (3)  with 
still  others  in  which  they  write  the  paraphrases 
at  once,  without  the  intervention  of  the  syno- 
nym writing.  With  the  reading-book  before 
them,  let  each  now  write  a  paraphrase  of  some 
short  story,  aiming  to  tell  in  his  own  words  all  it 
contains. 

This  can  be  followed  by  paraphrases  written 
from  memory  of  a  poem  or  story  read  ;  and  by 
oral  paraphrases  of  any  portions  of  any  text-book 
lessons  in  any  branch  of  study. 

Note  I.  The  dictionary  should  be  freely  and 
constantly  employed.  Instruction  in  its  proper 
and  effective  use  should  be  carefully  given  until 
all  know  its  various  kinds  of  helpfulness. 

Note  II.  Paraphrasing  should  always  precede 
the  memorizing  of  any  piece  of  writing  to  be 
used  as  the  basis  of  other  lessons. 

Note  III.  Taking  for  granted  that  all  common 
words  are  understood  will  be  likely  to  prove  an 
error. 

Note  IV.  Paraphrasing,  in  its  various  oral  and 
written  forms,  should  be  required  in  all  (even  in 
well  advanced)  classes  in  English.  In  the  study 
of  Shakespeare,  Milton,  and  other  English  classics 
the  objective  point  in  paraphrasing  should  be  the 
expression  of  the  thought  in  good  English  prose. 


CHAPTER   V. 

LESSONS   FROM   POEMS. 

DICTATE  a  short,  simple,  narrative  poem 
requiring  accuracy  in  copying,  punctuation, 
etc.  Call  for  a  metaphrase,  after  the  meaning  of 
the  poem  has  been  studied  silently ;  this  will 
show  whether  the  language  of  the  poem  is  under- 
stood. After  the  poem  has  been  read  aloud  by 
one  or  two  of  the  best  readers  in  the  class,  the 
whole  (including  the  author's  name)  may  then  be 
committed  to  memory. 

A  careful  paraphrase,  in  which  the  pupils  may 
supply  imagined  details,  not  expressed  in,  but 
suggested  by,  the  poem,  naturally  comes  next. 

At  this  point  the  class  may  be  taught  to  write 
a  list  (i)  of  the  various  events,  personages,  and 
places  in  the  story;  (2)  of  the  heads,  or  topics,  in 
their  order ;  and  (3)  of  the  topics  of  each  stanza, 
or  division  of  the  poem. 

After  some  practice  of  the  kind,  show  that 
there  must  be  in  every  piece  of  good  writing  a 
natural  connection  and  relation  of  thought ;  a 
continuous  thread  running  through  the  whole 
composition.     When   this  is  clearly  seen,  atten- 

91 


9^  LESSONS  FROM  POEMS, 

lion  may  be  paid  for  some  time  to  tracing  out 
the  connections,  relations,  and  interdependen- 
cies  of  the  various  ideas  in  the  poem  under  con- 
sideration. 

With  advanced  classes  this  will  necessarily 
lead  to  the  study  of  grammatical  construction  ; 
indeed,  it  may  with  very  young  classes,  if  use  be 
made  of  the  understanding  only  to  determine 
what  each  part  of  the  construction  tells. 

Example  : 

*'  Around  the  fireside  at  their  ease 
There  sat  a  group  of  friends,  entranced 
With  the  delicious  melodies." 

'*  What  does  *  Around  the  fireside  *  tell  ?  '* 
*'  *  Around  the  fireside'  tells  where  they  sat.'* 
'*  What  does  '  At  their  ease '  tell  ?  " 
'' '  At  their  ease '  tells  how  they  sat." 
"What  does  ^  There'  tell?" 
'*  *  There  '  only  begins  to  tell  something." 
''  *  Sat '  tells  what  a  group  did." 
'*  *  Of  friends  '  tells  the  kind  of  group,"  etc. 
As  a  concluding  lesson,  older  pupils  may  write 
about  the  poem,   embodying  in    the  paper  the 
results  of  their  study.     After  several   exercises 
of  the    kind   they    may    include    notice    of    the 
vocabulary,  figures,  etc.,  and   may  make  a  com- 
parison between  the  poem  in  question  and   any 
other  that  they  have  thus  studied.     They    may 
then   write  the  substance  of  the  poem    in    dia- 
logue form. 


LESSONS  FROM  POEMS. 

The  teacher  may  now  ask:  **  Are  there  any 
pictures  in  the  poenx?  Are  there  any  persons 
described  in  it  ?  What  do  you  learn  from  it 
that  is  not  told  /;/  it?  What  have  you  learned 
from  it  that  you  did  not  know  before  ?  What 
has  it  made  you  think  that  you  never  thought 
before  ?  Would  you  have  liked  it  better  in 
prose?  Why,  or  why  not?  Is  there  a  word  in 
it  that  you  would  like  to  change?  *' 

Suitable  Short  Poems. ^ 
"  A  Fable — The  Mountain  and  the  Squirrel/* — 
Emerson. 

*'  Abou  Ben  Adhem." — Leigh  Hunt. 

*'  Opportunity." — Edward  R.  Sill. 

*'  Lucy." — Wordsworth. 

'' Ozymandias  of  Egypt." — Shelley. 

**  Pictures  from  Memory." — Alice  Gary. 

*^  The  Emperor's  Bird's  Nest." — Longfellow. 

"  Haroun  Al  Raschid." — Longfellow. 

*^The  Three  Kings." — Longfellow. 

*'The  Sermon  of  St.  Francis." 

Suitable  Longer  Poems.\ 

^'The  Bell  of  Atri."— Longfellow. 
"  The  Norman  Baron." — Longfellow. 
"The  Birds  of  Killingworth." — Longfellow. 
"'  The  Shoemakers." — Whittier. 

*  Simpler  poems  must  be  selected  for  very  young  children. 
\  Not  to  be  committed  to  memory. 


94  LESSONS  FROM  POEMS. 

^^The  Palm  Tree."— Whittier. 
*'John  Gilpin." — Covvper. 

*'  Goody  Blake  and  Harry  Gill." — Wordsworthc 
"  Fidelity." — Wordsworth. 
"  The  Fountain." — Wordsworth. 
*' An  Order  for  a  Picture." — Alice  Gary. 
''  The  Closing  Scene." — T.  B.  Read. 
"The  Cloud."— Shelley. 

*'  To  a  Lady  with  a  Guitar." — Shelley  (begin- 
ning at  "The  artist  who,"  etc.). 
"  Excelsior." — Longfellow\ 
"The  Village  Blacksmith." — Longfellow. 
"  A  Parable."— Lowell. 
"  The  Singing  Leaves." — Lowell. 
"The  Falcon  of  Ser  Federigo." — Longfellow. 
"  Light  and  Shade." — Jean  Ingelow. 
Many  poems  contained  in  school  readers. 

Note.  Do  not  use  any  of  these  that  are  likely 
to  be  understood  with  difficulty.  If  a  short 
explanation  does  not  make  the  matter  clear  in 
any  poem  chosen,  leave  it  for  something  else 
until  later. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   STUDY   OF  A   STORY. 

STUDY  with  a  class  of  older  pupils,  for  a 
month  or  so,  ten  minutes  daily,  a  good  piece 
of  writing  which  is  interesting  and  within  the 
compass  of  their  understanding.  Consider  (i) 
the  general  meaning;  (2)  the  meaning  of  parts  ; 
(3)  the  words  and  phrases ;  (4)  ideas  or  facts 
new  to  the  class ;  (5)  subjects  of  the  separate 
paragraphs  ;  (6)  the  characters  of  the  story ;  (7) 
the  references,  allusions,  etc.,  and  (8)  the  figures 
of  speech,  if  the  advancement  of  the  class  will 
warrant. 

In  subsequent  lessons  about  the  same,  obtain 
from  the  pupils  their  idea  of  the  purpose  of  the 
story,  and  some  expression  of  opinion  regarding 
it.  Require  each  to  give  a  summary  of  facts  of 
every  kind,  learned  by  him  from  the  study  of  the 
story,  the  same  to  be  carefully  classified  and 
arranged. 

Hawthorne's  '^The  Great  Stone  Face"  affords 
admirable  material  for  this  kind  of  exercise. 

A  topical  analysis  of  the  story  would  be  a  pos- 
sible additional  exercise  resulting  from  the  study. 

Paraphrasing  of  passages  and  grammatical 
95 


9^  THE   STUDY  OF  A    STORY. 

analysis  of  selected  paragraphs  will  necessarily 
form  a  part  of  these  lessons. 

Lamb's  ^*  Tales  from  Shakespeare";  "The 
Snow  Image  "  and  "  David  Swan/'  by  Hawthorne  ; 
''Supper  at  the  Mill,"  by  Jean  Ingelow;  ''The 
King  of  the  Golden  River,"  by  Ruskin,  are  sug- 
gested as  other  material  for  this  kind  of  work. 

Another  exercise  may  be  upon  the  characters 
in  a  story.  Prepare  for  this  exercise,  some  weeks 
beforehand,  by  directing  the  pupils  to  read  care- 
fully, or  re-read  before  a  given  date,  a  suitable 
story  of  your  selection. 

Soon  after  the  date,  limiting  the  time,  without 
warning,  and  after  the  usual  preparations  for 
writing  have  been  made,  give  the  subject  or  sub- 
jects for  the  day  from  the  characters  of  the  selected 
story. 

Example  : 

"  The  boys  may  write  to-day  about '  Wamba,  the 
Jester'  ;  the  girls  about  '  Cedric,  the  Saxon'  "  ; 
or,  "  The  girls  may  write  to-day  about 
'  Felicie,'  and  the  boys  about  '  Prinhac,'  "  giving 
but  one  subject  to  each  part  of  the  class  at  one 
lesson. 

Close  to  the  same  time,  give  such  directions  as 
this  :  (i)  "You  may  write  about  'The  House  of 
Cedric,  the  Saxon,'  or  '  The  Customs  and  Man- 
ners of  the  Saxons';  or  '  The  Costumes  of  the 
Saxons,'  "  and  the  like.     Or  as  this  :  (2)   "  One 


THE  STUDY  OF  A    STORY.  97 

week  from  to-day  you  maybe  ready  to  recite  from 
memory  a  descriptive  passage  from  the  story  you 
have  lately  read  ;  you  may  each  select  the  pas- 
sage you  prefer." 

After  the  date  set,  give,  as  before,  the  new  exer- 
cise without  warning:  (i)  ''You  may  put  the  sub- 
stance of  the  passage  which  you  have  learned 
into  dialogue  form,  using  the  words  and  phrases 
as  closely  as  possible."  Or  thus  (2)  :  ''  Separate 
the  passage  you  have  learned  into  its  grammati- 
cal component  parts  ;  {a)  arrange  these  in  columns 
according  to  their  classes,  that  is,  words,  phrases, 
clauses,  members ;  {b)  place  all  these  in  separate 
columns  according  to  their  functions ;  arrange 
words,  etc.,  in  the  various  columns,  in  alphabeti- 
cal order."  Or  thus  (3)  :  ''  Write  a  short  descrip- 
tion of  some  person,  place,  or  thing,  known  to 
yourself,  modeling  the  manner  and  form  of  your 
sentences  on  those  of  the  passage  learned,  but 
using  your  own  vocabulary." 

A  fourth  exercise  may  consist  of  the  results  of 
the  pupils*  independent  thinking  about  parts  or 
characters  of  the  story. 

Example  : 

''You  may  write,  this  morning,  what  you  think 
about  the  most  interesting  person  of  the  story  ; 
about  the  story  as  a  whole." 

Many  more  exercises  in  kind  will  be  suggested 
to   the    teacher   by  the  conditions  of  the  story 


9^  THE   STUDY  OF  A    STORY. 

itself.  But  it  will  be  a  mistake  to  keep  the  same 
story  too  long  in  hand  at  one  time.  It  would  be 
better  to  read  a  new  one,  for  the  sake  of  the  read- 
ing merely,  and  to  make  use  of  it  while  it  is  still 
fresh  in  interest,  than  to  dwell  too  long  on  one. 

In  most  schools  it  will  be  necessary  *'  to  edu- 
cate "  the  classes  "  up"  to  reading.  A  large  per- 
centage, even  in  the  best  schools  in  the  best  wards 
of  cities,  will  be  found  to  be  ignorant  of  books  of 
any  value  ;  the  scant  vocabulary  of  the  brightest 
pupils  will  show  this  to  be  true,  without  any 
inquiry. 

To  create  a  taste  for  reading,  set  apart  a  time 
once  a  day  if  possible,  once  a  week  at  least,  for 
reading  a  real  book.  Begin  to  read,  watching 
carefully  for  signs  of  inattention;  if  the  class  do 
not  listen  well,  either  take  another  book,  or  take 
a  little  time  to  explain  that  this  story  is  interest- 
ing, although  the  beginning  seems  dull ;  keep 
maps  on  the  desk,  if  places  are  mentioned  ;  ex- 
plain freely,  at  the  outset.  Simplify  the  language 
where  it  is  not  clear,  at  the  beginning,  by  chang- 
ing, here  and  there,  uncommon  to  better  known 
words.  Read  only  a  little  at  first.  When  the 
book  has  been  read  partly  through,  if  the  interest 
is  S2ifficient,  take  no  more  time  with  it,  but  allow 
the  children  to  finish,  directing  them  where  and 
how  to  get  books.  Say  that  as  soon  as  all  have 
finished,  another  shall  be  taken  up.  Make  use 
of  the  first  for  conversation  exercises. 


THE    STUDY  OF  A    STORY.  99 

In  young  classes  read,  at  first,  such  stories  as 
can  be  finished  at  one  short  reading.  When 
enough  has  been  done  to  accustom  all  to  hearing 
and  h'king  to  hear,  choose  something  that  can  be 
finished  in  two  readings,  and  increase  at  dis- 
cretion till  a  book  can  be  read.  The  rapid  in- 
crease in  understanding  book-language  will  make 
the  value  of  this  practice  apparent. 

The  every-day  reading  lessons  will  be  much 
more  easily  learned. 

Note  I.  By  means  of  this  and  the  preceding 
exercises  the  teacher  will  be  aided  in  her  efforts 
to  change  the  character  of  the  reading  of  her 
pupils,  or  even  to  get  it  entirely  within  her 
control. 

Note  II.  Even  in  the  youngest  classes,  it  is 
easy  to  make  valuable  oral  exercises,  in  the  recital 
of  the  story  without  questions,  each  one  going  as 
far  as  he  can  without  leaving  out,  and  the  next 
taking  up  the  story  where  he  fails  to  remember 
the  exact  order. 

Note  III.    Read  Hale's  ''  How  to  Do  it "  often. 

Stories  for  Young  Pupils  : 

'^  The  Princess  and  the  Goblins." — Macdonald. 
''The  King  of  the  Golden  River." — Ruskin. 
"  Pilgrim's  Progress."     (One  syllable.) 
''  Robinson  Crusoe."     (One  syllable.) 
'*  Water  Babies." — Kingsley. 


lOO  THE    STUDY   OF  A    STORY. 

'*  Swiss  Family  Robinson." 
"  Rollo  Books." 
The  Nursery ^  etc. 

Stories  for  Older  Pupils  : 

**  Ivanhoe."— Scott. 

"'  The  Talisman." — Scott. 

"  Guy  Mannering." — Scott. 

*'  The  Spy." — Cooper. 

''  The  Pilot."— Cooper. 

**  Leatherstocking  Tales." — Cooper. 

^^n  His  Name."— E.  E.  Hale. 

''  The  Man  Without  a  Country."— E.  E.  Hale, 

'*Ten  Times  One  is  Ten." — E.  E.  Hale. 

''The  New  Crusade." — E.  E.  Hale. 

''Tom  Brown  at  Rugby." — Hughes  (parts). 

"The  Great  Stone  Face." — Hawthorne. 

"  Zenobia." — Ware. 

"  Aurelian."— Ware. 
— "  The  Odyssey."     (Translation.) 

"  The  Boys'  King  Arthur." 
—  *'  Lamb's  Tales  From  Shakespeare." 

"  Tales  From  the  Iliad." 

"  The  Pilgrim's  Progress." — Bunyan. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

INVENTION. 

AS  many  of  the  preceding  lessons  contain  sug- 
gestions for  exercises  in  invention,  little 
more  need  be  said  on  this  subject.  But  attempts 
at  making  up  stories  will  be  found  to  be  good 
indexes  of  what  is  going  on  in  the  minds  of 
children,  and,  indirectly,  are  sure  to  tell  much 
about  their  intellectual  and  moral  health. 

Discountenance  extravagance  and  nonsense, 
and  show  that  in  order  to  make  a  good  little 
story  probabilities  must  be  regarded  ;  when  cer- 
tain conditions  are  taken  for  granted,  nothing  out 
of  harmony  with,  or  opposed  to,  those  conditions 
must  be  made  a  part  of  the  story. 

Example  i  : 

^*  Suppose  yourselves  to  be  writing  a  little  story 
to  please  a  six-year-old  child,  or  ten-year-old 
child,  of  your  acquaintance.  Having  this  child, 
with  what  you  know  of  his  likes  and  dislikes,  in 
mind,  write  in  simple  language  what  you  think 
would  please  him.  Take  your  paper  home  and 
read  it  to  him  and  notice  his  attention  and  what 

lOI 


I02  ;  .   ,.    ^    ilN^VKHT^lON. 

he  says.     Write  the  results  on  your  paper  and 
hand  it  to  me." 

Example  2  : 

A  short  story  illustrating  one  of  the  fol- 
lowing moral  statements:  (i)  It  is  always  best  to 
speak  and  act  the  truth ;  (2)  to  be  good-tem- 
pered ;  (3)  to  be  neat ;  (4)  to  be  prompt  ;  (5)  to 
be  polite  ;  (6)  to  be  punctual  ;  (7)  to  be  indus- 
trious ;  (8)  to  be  obedient ;  (9)  to  be  kind  to  ani- 
mals; (10)  to  be  obliging  to  strangers;  (11)  to 
take  care  of  the  health.  Let  the  story,  itself, 
without  any  preaching,  show  what  is  to  be  illus- 
trated. 

Example  3  : 

An  original  fable  illustrating  (i)  The  Wisdom 
of  Contentment  ;  (2)  the  Duty  of  Kindness  to 
all,  even  the  Most  Insignificant  ;  (3)  the  Folly 
of  Procrastination  ;  (4)  the  Fate  of  the  Idle  ;  (5) 
the  Effect  of  Noble  Companionship ;  (6)  the 
Effect  of  Selfishness  on  the  Character;  (7)  the 
Value  of  System  in  Work. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PURE   DESCRIPTION. 

BEFORE  giving  this  lesson,  read  aloud  a  short 
description  from  Scott,  Irving,  or  Hawthorne, 
of  a  woodland  scene,  or  of  the  fields,  as  in  Irving's 
''Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow,"  or  from  some 
simpler  writing,  selecting  characteristic  phrases 
and  other  expressions  from  the  piece  read.  Write, 
not  these,  but  similar  ones  on  the  board.  Choos- 
ing a  subject  from  the  familiar  surroundings  of 
the  children — a  field,  a  hillside,  a  bridge — ask 
them  to  describe  it,  giving  them  leave  to  use  any 
of  the  phrases  placed  upon  the  board  as  they  pro- 
ceed in  their  description. 

A  second  time,  read  another  description,  select 
a  similar  object,  and  require  a  description  with- 
out the  help  of  the  phrases. 

Again,  choose  a  well-known  hill,  stream,  forest, 
or  building,  and  with  the  aid  of  the  whole  class 
write  at  the  board  a  description  of  it.  Require 
each  to  copy  it,  and,  at  the  next  lesson,  to  rewrite 
it,  bettering  it  so  far  as  he  is  able. 

Subjects  : 

An  Old  Bridge — At  Sunrise — At  Sunset. 


I04  PURE  DESCRIPTION. 

7  A  Pond. 

A  Country  or  City  Church. 
/A  Country  School-house. 
^  A  Tree. 

A  Hill  or  Mountain. 

A  Country  Churchyard. 

A  Capitol  Building. 

A  Court  House. 

A  City  Hall. 
7  A  Country  Barn. 
7  A  Vegetable  Garden. 

An  Old  Man. 

A  Farmer  at  Work. 
'  A  Blacksmith. 

A  Child. 

My  Neighbor  at  School. 

My  Grandfather. 
^  A  Boy  I  Know. 

My  Baby  Sister. 

Note  I.  Let  early  attempts  of  this  kind  be 
wholly  from  fact,  not  from  imagination. 

Note  H.  See  that  each  child  writes  according 
to  some  plan  of  his  own,  and  arranges  what  he 
has  to  say  clearly  and  in  good  order. 

Note  HI.  Name  a  particular  one  of  each 
object  in  the  list, — one  familiar  to  the  pupils. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A   DAILY   JOURNAL. 

A  SCHOOL  journal  of  events,  containing  rec- 
ord of  recitations,  visitors,  of  any  deviation 
from  the  usual  order,  any  pleasant  lessons, 
accidents,  and  incidents,  and  kept  in  turn  by  the 
pupils,  furnishes  a  pleasant  and  profitable  ad- 
dition to  the  interest  of  school.  Well-managed, 
it  may  even  be  made  an  effective  aid  to  dis- 
cipline, but  not  as  a  chronicle  of  misdeeds  or 
personal  failures.  Each  pupil,  as  he  takes  his 
turn  at  the  school  journal,  should  try  to  make  the 
record  look  well  and  sound  well  ;  his  name 
should  be  signed  to  his  record,  which  may  be 
read  aloud  each  evening  and  approved,  or  cor- 
rected by  the  school. 

Every  pupil  would  be  benefited  by  such 
journal-keeping  for  himself. 

On  some  convenient  day,  at  the  last  hour  of 
school-session,  require  the  whole  class  to  make  a 
record  of  the  day's  events  from  memory.  At 
the  next  lesson,  ask  for  the  reading  of  several  or 
all  of  these,  to  show  the  pupils  themselves  the 
105 


Io6  A    DAILY  JOURNAL. 

differences  in  observation.     Allow  free  criticism 
of  the  papers. 

Require  the  class,  individually,  to  keep  a 
daily  journal  for  a  week  and  to  read  the  same 
aloud,  as  a  composition  e-xercise.  Any  child  that 
can  write  may  do  this. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PREPOSITIONAL   PHRASES. 

IN  any  reading-lesson   from  any  reading-book, 
as  early,  even,  as  the    First  Reader,  very  in- 
teresting exercises  on  phrases  are  possible. 

Exercise  i  : 

"  The  hen  is  by  the  brook  with   her  chickens.*' 

"  What  words  tell  where  the  hen  is?  " 

''  By  the  brook." 

''  Can  you  think  of  any  other  word  to  use  with 
brook  that  would  tell  where,  too  ?  '* 

''  In  the  brook." 

*^  Yes,  and  what  else  ?  " 

"  Across  the  brook,  down  the  brook,  up  the 
brook,  out  of  the  brook,  to  the  brook,  along  the 
brook,  from  the  brook,"  etc. 

**  Now,  will  you  use  some  of  these  words  with 
another  word,  not  brook  ?  " 

*'  By  the  house,  in  the  field,  to  the  garden,"  etc. 

"Out  of  the  —  ?  down  the  —  ?  across  the — ? 
along  the  —  ?  "  etc.,  etc. 

**  Do  you  see  any  other  words  in  your  lesson 
that  belong  together  like  these,  and  tell  where, 
or  how  ?  See  if  you  can  find  all  such  in  your 
107 


Io8  PREPOSITIONAL  PHRASES. 

next  lesson,  and  I  will  tell  you  something  else  to 
do  with  them." 
Exercise  2  : 

"Can  you  find  any  such  words  in  the  fol- 
lowing? " 

"As  I  walked  out  yesterday,  I  saw  a  large 
walnut  grove  which  grew  where  the  land  sloped 
downward  gently.  There  were  many  ripe  nuts 
scattered  about ;  indeed,  their  round  yellow  rinds 
dotted  the  grass  everywhere.  I  gathered  several 
particularly  fine  ones,  sat  down,  and  cracked 
them  ;  the  kernels  were  very  sweet,  but  I  stained 
my  lips  and  my  fingers  so  that  I  cannot  go  out 
until  the  color  wears  off.'* 

Ask  older  pupils  to  rewrite  the  foregoing  para- 
graph, using  different  words  for  "  where  the 
land,"  etc.,  "scattered  about,"  and  other  words, 
telling  on  what  "  I  sat,"  etc.  ;  draw  attention  fre- 
quently to  such  groups  of  words  (phrases)  and 
show  how  much  we  use  them  when  we  talk,  and 
what  kind  of  things  we  tell  with  them. 

Show  pupils  who  read  books  and  understand 
construction  practically,  how  much  of  the  beauty 
of  good  writing  is  often  in  these  little  phrases. 

Examples  from  the  Psalms  : 

"  In  the  wilderness  in  a  solitary  way." 
"  Like  rain  upon  the  mown  grass." 
"  Upon  the  top  of  the  mountain." 
"  Song  in  the  night." 


PREPOSITIONAL  PHRASES.  109 

"  Even  to  this  mountain/* 
*  In  the  great  waters." 
*'  With  honey  out  of  the  rock." 

From  Isaiah  : 

''  The  thickets  of  the  forest." 

*'  Doves  to  their  windows." 

'*  A  banner  upon  the  top  of  the  high  mountain." 

"Above  the  heights  of  the  clouds." 

"  Three   berries   in  the  top  of   the  uttermost 

bough." 
*^  A  possession  for  the  bittern." 
"  Instead  of  the  thorn." 

From  Job : 

"  Under  the  shady  tree." 

"The  island  of  the  innocent." 

"  The  place  of  sapphires." 

"  The  cliffs  of  the  valleys." 

"  A  companion  to  owls." 

"  Thistles  instead  of  wheat." 

"  In  a  vision  of  the  night." 

"  The  sweet  influences  of  Pleiades." 

"  In  the  covert  of  the  reed." 

"  Upon  the  crag  of  the  rock." 

Exercise  3 : 

"  Write  the  phrase  which  I  shall  give  you  (select 
from  the  foregoing) ;  think  about  it,  and  write  a 
short  composition  in  which  you  express  all  the 
thoughts  suggested  by  it." 


no  PREPOSITIONAL  PHRASES. 

Exercise  4 : 

{a)  *^  Turn   to  page  —  in  your  reading-book,   a 

piece  of  descriptive  writing  from .     Write  a 

list  of  the  prepositional  phrases  in  the para- 
graph. Say  which  you  think  is  the  most  beauti- 
ful phrase,  in  sound  and  in  meaning,  {b)  Rewrite 
the  paragrapli,  expressing  all  that  is  in  it,  so  far 
as  possible,  by  using  other  forms  of  expression 
instead  of  these  phrases.  Determine  what  quality 
the  original  has  lost  by  this  change." 

Exercise  5  : 

Study  the  etymology  of  the  prepositions. 

Exercise  6 : 

By  experiment,  find  out  how  many  of  them  by 
use  pass  into  adverbs  ;  into  other  parts  of  speech. 

Exercise  7 : 

Take  note   in  rending • of  uncommon 

uses  of  these  words,  both  as  prepositions  and  as 
other  parts  of  speech. 


CHAPTER  XT. 

SELECTED    PASSAGES. 

SELECTING  and  committing  to  memory  por- 
tions of  the  text  should  be  a  part  of  every 
lesson  in  the  study  of  English. 

Each  pupil's  selection  should  be  based  on  some 
reason  in  his  own  mind  ;  an  admiration  of  the 
thought,  of  the  words,  the  melody  of  the  verse, 
a  rhetorical  figure,  or  a  fact  which  he  wishes  to 
remember. 

As  these  selected  passages  are  to  be  held  per- 
manently  in  the  memory,  they  may  furnish  much 
good  material  for  wTiting,  at  a  moment's  notice. 

Exercise  i  : 

The  class  may  each  write  from  memory  a 
short  selection,  learned  on  account  of  the  beauty 
of  the  thought  contained,  from  Lowell.  Let  them 
write  for  ten  minutes  on  what  is  suggested.  Or 
they  may  exchange  papers  and  write  what  the 
selection  suggests. 

Exercise  2  : 

"  Write  from  memory  a  passage  from  Long- 
fellow's '  Morituri  Salutamus.'  {a)  Explain  what 
connection    it  has  with   the  whole  ;  (h)  give  the 


112  SELECTED  PASSAGES. 

thought  that  precedes  and  that  which  follows, 
and  write  a  ten-line  composition  on  the  thoughts 
suggested  by  the  independent  passage." 

Exercise  3  : 

Comment  on  the  passage,  noticing  the  scan- 
sion, the  words,  figures,  poetic  license,  construc- 
tion, and  thought. 

Exercise  4 : 

Annotate  minutely,  noticing  the  etymology  of 
uncommon  words. 

Exercise  5  : 

"  Men  whose  lives  glided  on  like  rivers  that  water  the  wood- 
land. 
Darkened  by  shadows  of  earth   but  reflecting  an  image 
of  heaven." 

"  Expand  the  figure  which  makes  up  this 
incomplete  extract,  showing  how  men's  lives 
could  glide  on  like  rivers,  be  darkened  by  shadows, 
and  reflect  an  image  of  heaven.  Give  the  literal 
history  of  lives  which  could  make  this  figurative 
description  possible  and  true." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE   STUDY   OF   FORM. 

AFTER  some  such  study  of  short  and  simple 
pieces,  in  both  prose  and  verse,  as  is  broadly- 
outlined  in  Chapter  VL,  older  pupils  may  begin 
to  study  Irving's  "  The  Legend  of  Sleepy 
Hollow,"  Longfellow's  ^'  Evangeline,"  Whittier's 
"  Snow-Bound,"  or  Scott's  "  Lady  of  the  Lake." 

A  good  help  to  appreciating  what  is  in  a  piece 
of  writing  is  to  examine  carefully  what  man- 
ner of  words,  phrases,  sentences,  figures,  etc.,  the 
author  has  used  in  giving  written  form  to  his 
thought,  or,  in  other  words,  in  telling  his  story. 

Naturally  this  does  not  come  first  as  a  part  of 
conscious  work.  If  interested  at  all,  the  boy  or 
girl  is  interested  in  the  story,  or  matter. 

Neither  profit  nor  pleasure  can  be  expected  to 
come  from  the  study  of  technicalities  as  such,  out 
of  their  order.  The  study  of  the  letter,  when  the 
letter  is  a  thing  despised,  killeth  ;  when  the  letter 
is  perceived  to  be  a  thing  connected  with  the  life 
of  thought,  it  giveth  life.  Word-lore  comes  late, 
and  as  a  consequence  of  a  sufficient  love  of  books. 

With  all  the  judgment  the  teacher  has,  but- 
tressed by  constantly  added  experience  from  ob- 
serving her  pupils  during  the  lesson  hours,  and  by 
113 


114  THE  ^STUDY  OF  FORM, 

enthusiasm,  stimulated  by  their  awakening  enthu- 
siasm in  the  discussion  of  the  literal  meanings — 
the  botany,  zoology,  astronomy,  religion,  history, 
and,  in  its  order,  the  poetry — of  the  studied  poem, 
she  lures  them  on  to  notice  other  things  ;  to 
glow  over  the  beauty  of  a  phrase,  to  smile  over 
the  history  of  a  curious  word,  to  wonder  at,  then 
to  admire,  the  force  of  a  rhetorical  figure,  or  the 
felicity  of  a  certain  grammatical  construction  ; 
she  lures  them  on,  in  brief,  as  if  she  were  leading 
them  into  the  wonders  of  a  field  or  forest. 

Thestudy  of  theform  of  written  thought  may  be 
simplified  a  little  by  adopting  and  adapting  a  plan 
somewhat  like  that  which  follows.  Be  it  remem- 
bered, however,  that  work  of  this  kind,  its  time  and 
order  of  doing,  must  depend  on  the  advancement 
in  interest,  and  that  each  new  thing  ought  to 
bring  itself  to  notice  and  lead  the  way  to  seeing 
other  things  of  the  same  and  of  different  kinds. 

The  study  of  a  piece  of  writing  by  the  single  stanza 

or  paragraph^, 
I.  Grannnatical  Construction: 

1.  Syntax  in  general. 

{a)  Kinds  of  sentences. 

{p)  Forms  of  tenses  used  for  other  tense- 
forms. 

{c)  Special  constructions  (adverbial  ob- 
jective, etc.) 

2.  Idioms. 


THE   STUDY  OF  FORM,  US 

//.  Paraphrase  : 

1.  A  free  oral  translation  of  the  author's 
thought  into  the  individual  vocabulary ;  gram- 
matical, to  the  point,  containing  nothing  more, 
nothing  less,  than  the  original. 

2.  Synonyms. 

///.  Structure: 

1.  Comparative  length  (as  in  poems  like  Scott's 

**Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel  "). 

2.  Logical  connection  and  argument. 

3.  Measure — irregularities,  etc. 

4.  Rhyme. 

{a)  Arrangement  and  variety. 
(U)  Quality  and  kind. 
{c)  Contrast. 

IV,    Words: 

1.  As  a  whole. 

{a)  Quality. 

(p)  Origin  (very  rarely). 

2.  Special  words. 

.    {a)  Uncommon — in  their  nature ;  in  their 
use. 
{p)  Of  peculiar  force. 
{c)  Archaic. 
\d)  Obsolete. 
(e)  Of  special  beauty. 
(/)  Of  noticeable  origin. 
{g)  Favorite    words — much    used    by   the 
author. 


Ii6  THE   STUDY  OF  FORM. 

V,  Allusions  : 

1.  Historical. 

{a)  Authentic. 
{b)  Legendary. 
{c)  Biographical. 
Id)  Biblical. 
{e)  Classical. 

2.  Literary. 

3.  Scientific. 

4.  Geographical. 

5.  Local. 

VI,  Figures: 

1.  Of  syntax  (Ellipsis,  Asyndeton,  etc.) 

2.  Etymology. 

3.  Orthography. 

4.  Rhetoric. 

(a)   Metaphor. 

{b)  Simile. 

{c)  Synecdoche. 

{d)  Metonymy. 

{e)  Vision. 

(/)  Apostrophe. 

(^g)  Personification. 

(Jt)  Interrogation. 

(/)  Exclamation,  etc.,  etc. 

VII,  Melody: 

1.  Rhythm,  etc. 

2.  Intentional,    or    instinctive    alternation    of 

vowel  sounds — of  liquids,  etc.,  etc. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

SOME   VARIETIES    OF    EXERCISES. 

1.  Metaphrases,  Paraphrases  (See  pages  86 
and  88). 

2.  Words  and  all  their  Derivatives,  simple  and 
compound. 

3.  Phrases;  made  from  clauses  and  vice  versa ; 
words  from  phrases  and  vice  versa, 

4.  Etymology  of  words  selected  from  the 
lesson  by  the  teacher  ;  of  words  of  the  pupiFs 
own  selection. 

5.  Grammatical  Construction ;  separation  of 
connected  discourse  into  its  component  parts, 
with  the  function  of  each  part. 

6.  Expand  metaphors ;  condense  similes ; 
analyze  both. 

7.  Change  figurative  language  to  plain  language. 

8.  Change  all  the  dependent  clauses  in  a 
piece  of  connected  discourse  to  participial  or 
other  phrases,  and  vice  versa. 

9.  Determine  subjects  of  paragraphs,  stanzas, 
etc.  Make  topical  analysis  of  a  poem,  essay, 
play  or  story. 

"7 


Ii8  VARIETIES  OF  EXERCISES. 

10.  Study  of  connectives  and  connecting  ideas 
of  a  piece  of  writing. 

11.  Connection,  Purpose,  and  Relation  to  the 
whole  of  selected  passages. 

12.  Change  poetical  language  in  a  poem  to 
the  language  of  prose,  making  no  change  in 
those  portions  which  are  not  of  themselves 
poetical. 

13.  Change  a  given  piece  of  prose  or  verse 
into  prose  of  one-syllabled  words. 

14.  Change  the  rhyming  words  in  a  piece  of 
verse  into  good  synonyms,  not  rhyming,  but  pre- 
serving the  accent. 

15.  Write  iambic  pentameter  or  tetrameter 
couplets  and  quatrains,  on  given  subjects. 

16.  Change  bombastic  or  otherwise  faulty 
newspaper  language  to  good  English. 

17.  Change  plain  statements  (connected  dis- 
course) to  figurative  language. 

18.  Select  beautiful,  strong,  curious,  mimetic, 
melodious,  uneuphonic,  harsh,  or  sonorous  words 
from  a  given  piece  of  writing,  and  mention 
their  effect  in  the  connection  in  which  they 
are  found. 

19.  Give  the  function  of  any  character  in  a 
poem,  story,  or  play. 

20.  Decide  upon  the  necessity  of  any  scene 
in  a  dramatic  poem  studied. 

21.  Trace  the  thread  of  the  plot  in  each  scene 
of  the  same. 


VARIE  TIES  OF  EXERCISES.  1 1 9 

22.  Change  direct  discourse  to  indirect  and 
vice  versa,  and  either  to  dialogue. 

23.  Write  a  short  composition  on  a  given 
subject  without  using  (a)  prepositions,  {U)  con- 
junctions, {c)  descriptive  adjectives,  (^)  compound 
tenses,  {e)  adverbs,  (/)  superlatives.  ( Give  at 
six  different  times.) 

24.  An  original  short  story  to  be  read  to  a 
six-year  child. 

25.  Change  to    good    English    prose    {a)    the 

speech    of in    Shakespeare*s ,  Scene — , 

Act —  ;  {U)  of in  Spenser's  '*  Faerie  Queen  "  ; 

{c)  of in  Chaucer's  '*  Squier's  Tale." 

26.  Write  an  alphabet  of  admired  passages 
from  {a)  Milton  ;  {b)  Wordsworth  ;  {c)  Tenny- 
son ;  ^d)  wShakespeare's  comedies ;  {e)  Shake- 
speare's tragedies  ;  (/)  Carlyle's  "'  Hero  Wor- 
ship "  and  *' Sartor  Resartus  "  ;  (^)  Lowell;  {fi) 
Hawthorne. 

27.  Annotate  the  first  twenty  lines  of  {ci) 
"•  Com  us  "  ;  {U)  **  Lycidas  "  ;  {c)  ''  Lady  of  the 
Lake";  (d)  Keats's  **  Hyperion  ";  (^)  Shelley*s 
^^  Skylark"  ;  (/)  first — or  any  selected — paragraph 
of '^  Sartor  Resartus  "  ;  (^g)  Tennyson's  **  Prin- 
cess," beginning and  ending ,  etc. 

28.  Write  an  imaginary  conversation  with 
Mr.  Longfellow  on  his  ''  Evangeline,"  or  with 
■ on  his . 

29.  Write  a  short  composition  in  which  all 
verbs,  nouns,  adjectives  and  adverbs  are  of  Anglo- 


I20  VARIETIES  OF  EXERCISES, 

Saxon  origin.     Rewrite  the  same,  changing  the 
Anglo-Saxon  to  Latin-derived  words. 

30.  Write  a  short  exercise  n\  which  the  verbs 
are  Anglo-Saxon  and  the  nouns  not  Anglo-Saxon. 

31.  Write  an  exercise  in  which  the  comma 
is  not  needed. 

32.  In  which  all  the  phrases  are  {a)  preposi- 
tional adverbial ;  {h)  prepositional  adjectival ;  {c) 
in  which  all  compound  modifiers  are  adjective 
clauses. 

33.  {a)  Expand  compound  words  into  their 
original  phrases-form,  or  phrase  idea,  or  clause 
form ;  (p)  condense  phrases  and  clauses  into 
compound  words. 

34.  Change  all  the  clauses  in  a  paragraph 
from  the  class  reader,  to  participial  phrases,  if  it 
can  be  done. 

35.  Write  a -preface  to  some  school  text- 
book which  is  without  one. 

36.  Write  a  review  of  the  same  book. 

37.  Find  the  proportion  of  Latin  to  Saxon 
words  in  selections  from  Shakespeare,  Milton, 
Wordsworth,  Keats,  Tennyson,  etc. 

38.  Arrange  in  alphabetic  order,  in  columns, 
the  grammatical  component  parts  of  Longfellow's 
Sonnet, ''  The  Three  Silences  of  Molinos."  Classi- 
fy and  rearrange  the  same  according  to  their 
separate  functions. 

39.  Alphabetically  arrange  in  their  several 
classes  the    phrases    of    Lowell's    *'  A    Parable," 


VARIE  TIES  OF  EXERCISES.  1 2 1 

(**Said  Christ  our  Lord/'  etc.),  or  of  "  Commem- 
oration Ode/'  VI. 

40.  Classify  the  rhetorical  figures  in  a  given 
poem  {(i)  according  to  kind,  {V)  according  to  base. 

41.  Examine  the  sonnets  of  a  given  author 
to  see  if  they  conform  to  the  laws  of  construction 
of  the  sonnet. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

GENERAL   SUGGESTIONS. 

GIVE,    as    occasion     requires,    the    following 
instructions,   with  such  others   as   the  indi- 
vidual class  may  need  : 

1.  Use  simple  words  and  expressions. 

2.  Avoid  the  frequent  use  of  long  sentences. 

3.  Do  not  end  sentences  with  unimportant 
words ;  with  the  same  word  or  phrase  used  in  a 
preceding  sentence ;  abruptly  or  awkwardly. 

4.  Avoid  unnecessary  repetitions  of  words ; 
but  do  not  be  afraid  to  use  the  same  word  twice 
if  its  second  use  is  telling. 

5.  Use  and  only  when  you  need  it. 

6.  Use  no  word  about  whose  meaning  you  are 
doubtful ;  avoid  French  or  other  foreign  words. 

7.  Use  superlatives  sparingly,  both  in  conver- 
sation and  in  writing. 

8.  Make  your  written  language  tell  the  simple 
truth  without  exaggerations. 

9.  Learn  to  notice  and  correct  your  own  oral 
language. 

10.  Of  two  words,  either  of  which  will  equally 
express  your  meaning,  generally  choose  the 
shorter. 


GENERAL    SUGGESTIONS.  123 

11.  Notice  the  language  of  educated  people. 

12.  Read  approved  (for  you)  standard  books, 
and  observe  their  style  as  you  read. 

13.  Copy  into  a  blank  book  such  passages  from 
what  you  read  as,  for  any  reason,  )'ou  like. 

14.  Cultivate  the  habit  of  talking  to  your 
parents  about  what  you  read. 

1 5.  Read  aloud  every  day, 

16.  Commit  to  memory  poems  or  parts  of 
poems  as  often,  at  least,  as  once  a  week. 

17.  Write  on  uniform  paper  ;  fasten  the  month's 
work  together,  labeled  and  dated  ;  lay  aside  for 
re-writing.     (For  advanced  classes.) 

18.  Heed  carefully  all  mistakes  marked  in  your 
writing,  and  avoid  repeating  them. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ERRORS   IN   SPEAKING. 

CORRECT  when  made,  or  soon  after,  all  errors 
in  speaking.  In  addition  to  the  more  com- 
mon ones,  do  not  allow  the  following  to  pass  un- 
noticed : 

*'  Try  and  see,"  for  try  to  see. 

"Those  kind,  these  kind,"  for  that  or  this  kind. 

*'  Looks  like  he  was,"  for  looks  as  if,  etc. 

**  Fix,"  for  arrange. 

*^  He  don't." 

"  Loan,"  for  lend. 

"  She's  nicely,  thank  you." 

"  Bring,"  for  take. 

'^Will  I?"  for  shall  I? 

**  Laid,"  for  lay. 

**  Lay,'*  for  lie. 

''  Break  it  in  half." 

"  Aint." 

**  Party,"  for  person. 

**  Expect,"  for  suspect. 

**  Aggravate,"  for  irritate. 

''  Their "    after    distributive,    impersonal,   and 
other  singular  antecedents. 

124 


EKJWKS  IN  SPEAKING.  12$ 

"  I  would  like  to  have  gone/*  for  I  should  have 
liked  to  go. 

**  Smart,"  for  clever. 

''  Nice  man,"  ^^  nice  girl,"  etc. 

*'  Fellow,"  except  in  its  proper  uses. 

**  Like,"  for  as — '*  Read  like  she  does." 

Unripped  for  ripped. 

**  Different  than." 

A  nominative  case  after  a  preposition  **  for 
him  and  I." 

"Presume,"  for  think  (in  its  ordinary  sense). 

"  Healthy  food,"  for  wholesome  food. 

*'  Get,"  and  its  tenses,  improperly  used  instead 
of  some  other  verb. 

"  Haven't  hardly  one." 

"Terribly  hungry." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

SUBJECTS   FOR    ADVANCED    CLASSES.^ 

1.  Character  Sketches  from  Real  Life. 

2.  Literary  Essays  (Results  of  study  of  the  Eng- 
lish Classics). 

3.  Study  of  Howells*s,  Hale's,  Cable's,  Joel 
Chandler  Harris's,  Charles  Egbert  Craddock's 
styles  in  their  best  novels. 

4.  The  Topography  of  Hale's  stories  ;  of  Crad- 
dock's. 

5.  Study  of  a  Sonnet  ;  the  sonnet ;  sonnets  of 
Wordsworth,  etc. 

6.  The  First  Chapter  of  *'  Ben  Hur." 

7.  Famous  Rides  (E.  E.  Hale's  "  In  His  Name  "  ; 
Browning's  "  From  Ghent  to  Aix  "  ;  *'  Sheridan's 
Ride,"  by  T.  B.  Read  ;  ^John  Gilpin,"  by  Cowper  ; 
"  Tam  O'Shanter,"  by  Burns  ;  *'  Don  Fulano,"  in 
"  John  Brent,"  by  Winthrop  ;  ''  Paul  Revere's 
Ride,"  by  Longfellow). 

8.  Wordsworth  and  Nature. 

9.  Keats's  *'  Hyperion." 

10.  Robert  Browning's  '^Childe  Roland  to  the 

*  But  few  in  this  list  are  within  the  limits  of  High  School 
work.  They  are  given  rather  as  suggestions  for  Teachers' 
work. 

126 


SUBJECTS  FOR  ADVANCED   CLASSES.       127 

Dark  Tower  Came  "  (see  Scott's  *'  Bridal  of  Trier- 
main"). 

11.  Robert  Browning's  Songs. 

12.  Robert  Browning's  *' An  Epistle." 

13.  Matthew  Arnold's  *'  Obermann  Once 
More." 

14.  Matthew  Arnold's  '*  Sohrab  and  Rustum." 

15.  Matthew  Arnold's  Sonnets. 

16.  Poetry  as  a  teacher  of  *'  How  to  see  "  in 
Nature. 

17.  The  Poet  and  the  Nation  (Lowell,  Whittier, 
Emerson). 

18.  The  Poet  and  "  Practical"  People. 

19.  Photographs — Hoffman's  '*  Christ  disput- 
ing with  the  Doctors  "  ;  ''  Ulysses  discovering 
Achilles  at  the  Court  of  Lycomedes  "  ;  Riviere's 
''  Circe  and  the  Friends  of  Ulysses " ;  Michael 
Angelo's  ''The  Three  Fates  ";  Riviere's  *'  Daniel 
in  the  Lion's  Den  ";  Gerome's  "  Napoleon  and 
the  Sphinx." 

20.  Theodore  Winthrop. 

21.  Thoreau's  ''  Excursion,"  "  Maine  Woods." 

22.  John  Burroughs  and  Maurice  Thompson. 

23.  Tennyson's  Science  ("  Locksley  Hall," 
''  The  Princess,"  etc). 

24.  American  Lyrics  (Holmes,  Halleck,  Drake, 
Longfellow,  Emerson,  Whittier,  Julia  Ward 
Howe). 

25.  Hawthorne's  ''The  House  of  Seven  Ga- 
bles." 


128        SUBJECTS  FOR  ADVANCED   CLASSES. 

26.  Dickensland  and  its  People. 
2J,  The  Phaedo    of    Plato    (Translation,  Mac- 
millan  &  Co.  or  Chas.  Scribner's  Sons). 

28.  Typical  School-teachers  of  Fiction  and  Poe- 
try (Goldsmith,  VVhittier,  Irving,  Shenstone, 
George  Macdonald,  Dickens,  and  Eggleston). 

29.  Distinguished  School-teachers  (Thomas 
Arnold,  Froebel,  Horace  Mann,  Agassiz,  Guyot). 

30.  The  Waldenses  ('*  In  His  Name  " — Hale). 

31.  The  Poet's  Insight. 

32.  Biographical  Sketches  (Abraham  Lincoln, 
Thoreau,  Burritt,  La  Place,  Rafinesque,  Linnaeus, 
Sumner,  Dr.  Arnold,  Galileo,  Kepler,  Milton,  De 
Candolle,  Pascal,  Humboldt). 

33.  Mount  Tamalpais. 

34.  Study  of  a  Shore  Crab,  of  a  Beetle  (with 
pencil  and  microscope). 

y  35.  Natural  History  in  the  Poets. 

36.  '*  Hepzibah,"  in  **  The  House  of  Seven  Ga- 
bles," by  Hawthorne. 

37.  Keats's  *' Sonnet  on  Chapman's  Homer." 

38.  The  Elegy ;   Great  Elegies. 

39.  The  Supernatural  in  American  Literature 
(Irving,  Hawthorne,  Poe,  Whittier,  Mather's  His- 
tory). 

40.  American  Flower  Poems  (''  The  Rhodora," 
Emerson;  ''The  Yellow  Violet"  and  "The 
Fringed  Gentian" — Bryant;  "The  Columbine" 
— Jones  Very  ;  "  Rose  Morals  " — Sidney  Lanier  ; 
"The  Dandelion" — Lowell). 


SUBJECTS  FOR  ADVANCED  CLASSES         129 

41.  The  People  and  the  Few  (Literary  Tastes). 

42.  Sidney  Lanier's  Works. 

43.  ''  The  Musician's  Tales/*  in  Longfellow's 
**  Tales  of  a  Wayside  Inn."  "The  Jew's  Tales," 
in  the  same. 

44.  The  Birds,  Trees,  Flowers  of  the  Poets  (a 
search  through  familiar  poets). 

45.  The  Woods  in  Poetry  (Bryant,  Longfel- 
low, Emerson). 

46.  The  Woods  in  Stories  (Hawthorne,  Cooper, 
Mrs.  Stowe). 

47.  The  English  of  Tennyson's  "Idyls  of  the 
King." 

48.  Lowell,  the  American  Scholar's  Poet. 

49.  The  Translations  of  the  Iliad  (Chapman, 
Pope,  Derby,  Bryant,  etc.). 

50.  "  Coriolanus  and  Aufidius  "  (Shakespeare's 
"  Coriolanus  "). 

51.  "  Canace's  Ring"  (Chaucer's  "Squire's 
Tale  "). 

52.  Gray  and  Keats  as  Showing  the  Influence 
of  Milton. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

SUBJECTS    FOR    PUPILS    OF  VARIOUS    AGES. 

7  I.  An  Ant  City  (from  observation). 
7  2.  A  Basket  of  Apples  (history  from  the  blos- 
som to  the  ripened  fruit  ;  a  story  about). 

•7  3.  A  Boy's  Adventure  (real). 
'  ->  4.  A   Coil  of    Rope  (see    Longfellow's  "The 
Rope  Walk"). 

5.  A  Cucumber  Vine,  and  What  Came  of  it. 

6.  A  Day  at  the  River  side  (nearest  stream). 
;  7.  A  Wood  and  Coal  Yard. 

n  8.  A  Farm  of  My  Own. 

^  9.  A  Fence  Corner  (blackberry  bushes,  bird's 
nest,  scoke,  stump,  moss,  lichens,  ground  squirrel, 
field  mouse,  etc.). 

10.  A  few  Insects  mentioned  by  the  Poets-  • 
Butterflies,  June  Beetle  (Gray's  "  Elegy  "),  Gray 
Fly  (Milton's  "  Lycidas "),  Bee,  Ant,  Mosquito 
(Bryant),  etc. 

11.  A  Great  Flood. 

12.  A  Grain  of  Wheat. 

Y    13.  A  Hornet's,  or  a  Wasp's  Nest,  with  Draw- 
ing. 


SUBJECTS  FOR   VARIOUS  AGES.  131 

14.  A  Hundred  Years  Old   (man,   house,  hat, 
pitcher,  coin,  tea-pot,  watch,  etc.). 
^  15.  An  Hour  in  a  Country  Railway  Station. 

16.  An  Ideal  School-room. 

17.  A  Jelly-fish   in   a   Tumbler.      A  Sea  An- 
emone. 

1  18.  Aladdin's  Lamp — if  I  had  it. 

19.  Aladdin's  Unfinished  Window. 
y  20.  A  Loaf  of  Bread — all   the   work  that  goes 
to  make  it. 

21.  An   Old    First   Reader  (a)  A  Review;  [b) 
See  Longfellow's  *'  The  Rope-walk,"  etc. 

22.  An  Old  Hedge  and  What  LSaw  There. 
7   23.   An  Old  Photograph  Album. 

24.  An  Old   Blue  Pitcher  (see  *'  Keramos,"  by 
Longfellow). 

25.  An  Original  Fable.     The    Hen    and    the 
Canary  Bird. 

26.  A  Piece  of  Machinery,  What  it  Does,  How 
it  Moves,  How  it  Looks;  with  drawings. 

27.  A  Prehistoric  Island. 
7  2%.  A  Ride  in  the  Rain. 

729.  A  Stormy  Day  Without,  or  Within. 
^^30.   A  Study  of  the  Cat.     Of  Cats. 

31.  A  Stalk  of  Corn — root  and  all  (see  Sidney 
Lanier's  poem  *' Corn  "). 

32.  A  Shop  of  My  Own. 
7  33.  At  a  Country  Store. 
;7  34.   At  the  Back  Door. 

35.  A  Voice  From  My  Desk. 


132  SUBJECTS  FOR   VARIOUS  AGES. 

36.  A  Week's  Journal — in  vacation  ;  in  term- 
time. 

37.  A  Wild  Garden  (see  Emerson's  ''My  Gar- 
den "). 

38.  A  Wren's,  or  Sparrow's,  or  Quail's  Nest. 

39.  Back  Windows. 

40.  Beetles  of  My  Garden  (Ground  Beetles, 
Rose  Weevil,  *'  Lady  Bird,"  Cucumber  Beetle, 
June  Beetle,  Spring  Beetle,  Colorado  Potato  Bee- 
tle, Striped  Potato  Beetle,  etc.). 

41.  Bird  Life  (Maurice  Thompson's,  John  Bur- 
roughs's,  and  Thoreau's  writings.  Autobiography 
of  Audubon  ;  but  first,  real  bird  life.  Lowell's 
'*  My  Garden  Acquaintance  "). 

42.  Bird  Poems  (Wordsworth,  Keats,  Shelley, 
Lanier's  **  Mocking  Bird,"  Bryant,  Robert  Brown- 
ing's *'  Home  Thoughts  From  Abroad  "). 

43.  Birds  of  My  Acquaintance. 

44.  Book  People  of  My  Acquaintance. 

45.  Burrs.  (See  Gray's  Botany, //^r/^r'^-J/^^^- 
zine,  Vol.  LXIIL,  page  645  and  ff.) 

46.  Cats  of  Story.  (See  ''  Bleak  House,"  Whit- 
tington's  Cat,  *'  The  White  Cat,"  etc.) 

47.  Cedric,  the  Saxon.     (See  page  95.) 

48.  Comparisons.     (See  page  59.) 

^49.  Curious  Family  Names  (See  City  Direct- 
ory) ;  their  origin. 

^,  50.  Curious  Seeds  (Burdock,  Thistle,  and  Sal- 
sify, ''  Beggar  Burr,"  Burr  Clover,  Ehn,  Ash, 
Clematis,  Maple,  etc.). 


SUBJECTS  FOR    VARIOUS  AGES.  133 

51.  Description  of  a  Friend  Whom  I  Like  Very 
Much. 

52.  Dogs  of  Story.  (See  **  Princess  of  Thule,*' 
"  Hypatia,"  *'  Leatherstocking  Tales,"  ''  Rab  and 
His  Friends,"  ^'  The  Talisman,"  "  The  Lady  of  the 
Lake,"  and  Dr.  John  Brown's  '*  Spare  Hours.") 

53.  Dreams.  (Shakespeare's  ""  Midsummer 
Night's  Dream,"  ''Richard  HL,  "  Campbell's 
''Last  Man,"  Addison's  "Vision  of  Mirza," 
Dimond's  "The  Sailor  Boy's  Dream,"  etc.)  ' 
^54.  Eyes  of  Animals,  (With  illustrations  from 
life  :  goat,  cat,  horse,  chicken,  fish,  owl,  dog, 
sheep,  frog,  crayfish  or  crab,  spider,  dragon-fly, 
harmless  snake,  venomous  snake,  singing-bird,  fly 
and  butterfly.) 

55.  Fence  Lichens  and  Mosses  (Gray). 
o  T  56.  Fence  Literature. 

57.   From  the  School-house  Windows. 
>58.  Glimpses  From  the  Streets  into  Homes. 

59.  Good  Health  and  How  to  Keep  it. 

60.  Good  Manners. 

61.  Grasses  of  the  Roadside. 

62.  Hale's  "  10  X  I  =  10."     (Its  Motto.) 

6}^,  How  Insects  Emigrate  (Colorado  Potato 
Beetle,  Cabbage  Butterfly,  Wheat  Midge,  Cod- 
ling Moth,  Plexippus  Butterfly,  "  Camberwell 
Beauty,''  Cockroach). 

64.  How  Plants  Emigrate  (Jamestown  Weed, 
Poa  Annua,  apple-tree,  elm,  oak,  etc.). 

65.  How  Plants  Sow  Seeds  (Gray). 


134  .  SUBJECTS  FOR   VARIOUS  AGES. 

66.  Horses  of  History  and  Story.  (See  Alex- 
ander the  Great,  Caligula,  "  John  Brent,"  by  Win- 
throp,  Hale's  "'  In  His  Name,"  Browning's 
**  How  we  carried  the  Good  News  from  Ghent  to 
Aix,"  Read's  "Sheridan's  Ride,"  Longfellow's 
"Bell  of  Atri,"  "Sigurd  the  Volsung,"  by 
Morris.) 

6^,  If  I  could  have  met  Mr.  Longfellow — 

68.  Isaac  of  York.     (See  page  59.) 

69.  Jews  of  Fiction.  (See  "  Ivanhoe,"  "  Our  Mu- 
tual Friend,"  Ware's  "  Zenobia,"  Eliot's  "  Daniel 
Deronda,"  Lessing's  "  Nathan  the  Wise.") 

70.  Johnny  Appleseed  (see  Vol.  XLIIL,  page 
830,  Harper  s  Magazine), 

71.  Mary's  Little  Garden. 

72.  Mending  a  torn  Dress. 

7  73.  Misfortunes  of  a  Helpless  fine  Lady. 
r  74.  Monday  Morning  at  the  Rush's. 
-<   75.  Monday  Morning  at  the  Slack's. 
^  76.  Monday  Morning  at  the  Thrifty's. 

yj.  Modes  of  Progression  in  Animals  (Feet, 
wings,  scales,  fins,  bristles  (as  in  earthworms), 
serpentine  curves  (see  Ruskin's  "  Deucalion," 
Vol.  II. -i),  flippers  in  seal,  suckers  of  leech, 
"thousand-legs,"  stretching  of  amoeba),  with 
drawings. 

78.  Mrs.  Robin's  Picnic. 

79.  Mr.  Slacktwist's  Farm. 

80.  My  Doll's  Education. 

81.  My  Favorite  Books. 


SUBJECTS  FOR   VARIOUS  AGES.  IJS 

Z2,  My  Neighbor  at  School. 

83.  Natural  History  of  the  Horse,  Sheep,  Cat, 
Dog,  and  other  domestic  animals,  from  observa- 
tion and  reading. 

84.  Natural  History  of  the  Gray  Squirrel,  or 
any  other  wild  animal  or  bird,  from  observation. 

85.  Native  Nut-bearing  Trees. 

86.  *'  Open  Sesame  '*  (see  "  Forty  Thieves  "). 

^  87.  One  of  Karl's  Wishes  (that  he  could  change 
himself  into  whatever  he  chose),  and  what  came 
of  it. 

88.  Plan  for  a  Day's  Work — at  home ;  at 
school. 

89.  Plants  that  Climb  and  Creep. 

90.  Ponce  de  Leon's  Fountain. 

91.  Pottery,  illustrated  by  specimens. 

92.  "  Portia." 

93.  Rat-Emigration. 

94.  *'  Rebecca,  the  Jewess." 

95.  Roads  (Historic). 

96.  Sand  Houses — sand  bee,  myrmelion,  etc., 
spiders. 

97.  ^^Shylock." 

98.  Street  Cries. 

99.  Study  of  a  Toad  in  Our  Garden. 

7  100.  The  Boys  Who  Used  to  Sit  at  Our  Desks. 
7  loi.  The  Boys  Who  Will  Sit  at  Our  Desks  Ten 
Years  from  Now. 

102.  The  Boy  who  always  Forgot. 

103.  The  Butterfly's  Birthday  (see  page  43). 


130  SUBJECTS  FOR   VARIOUS  AGES. 

104.  The  Circle. 

105.  The  Colors  of  the  Ground. 

106.  The    Crowning    of    Gardyn    (see    Hogg's 
"Queen's  Wake,"  III.,  5). 

107.  The  Dragon  Fly — Its  History. 
/^lo8.  The  Geography  of  our  Town. 

109.      "  "  "      Farm  (with  map). 

no.  The  History  of  some  Curious  Words. 

111.  The  House  Beautiful. 

112.  The  History  of  the  Horse,  in  America. 

113.  The  House  of  Cedric  the  Saxon. 

1 14.  Through  a  Cornfield. 

115.  The  Lion  in  my  Way. 

116.  The  Pleasantest  Day  of  my  School  Life. 

117.  The  Shapes  of  Leaves  (with  illustrations. 
See  Sir  John  Lubbock's  **  Leaves  "). 

118.  The  Songs  of  the  People. 

119.  The  Square. 

120.  The  Straight  Line. 

/  121.  The  Story  of  ''Mary,  Mary,  Quite  Con- 
trary." 

122.  The  Story  of  Sir  Launfal. 
^123.  The  Story  of  a  Pot  of  Jam. 

124.  The  Sky  (clouds  and  their  shapes,  color, 
height,  etc.). 

">    125.  Ten  Years  from  now  in  the  Life  of  a  Tree, 
of  a  Boy,  of  a  Girl. 

126.  The  Triangle. 

127.  The    Treasures    of  the     Hills  {ci)     above 
ground  ;  {b)  beneath. 


SUBJECTS  FOR   VARIOUS  AGES.  137 

128.  The  Weeds  in  our  Streets. 

129.  Under  a  Hedge. 

130.  Up  in  a  Tree. 

131.  Water  Notes  (Rain  drops  on  a  roof, 
window-pane,  etc.,  on  pools,  on  leaves,  on  hard 
ground  ;  brook,  cascades,  waves,  breakers,  under 
ice). 

y  132.  What  I  found  under  a  stone  ;  under  a  log. 

133.  What  They  Did  in  the  Ark. 
7134.  What  I  see  from  my  Window. 

135.  Wamba,  the  Jester  (see  page  59). 

136.  Whisky  and  What  it  Does. 

137.  Why  Idleness  is  a  Disgrace. 

138.  Wood,  what  it  is,  etc. 

139.  Work  and  Working  People. 

;?  140.  What  a  Flying  Bird  Can  See. 

141.  You  Ought. 

142.  You  Ought  Not. 

143.  Youth's  Best  Wisdom — Obedience, 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

SELECTIONS  TO  BE  USED  AS  SUBJECTS  AND    SUG- 
GESTIONS FOR  COMPOSITIONS. 

I. 
A  man  he  was  of  cheerful  Yesterdays 
And  confident  To-morrows. 

William  Wordsworth. 

2. 

And  passing  rich  on  forty  pounds  a  year. 

Oliver  Goldsmith. 

3. 

As  is  your  sort  of  mind,  so  is  your  sort  of  search. 

Robert  Browning. 

4. 
A  single  raindrop  prints  the  eocene 
While  crowbars  fail  on  lias. 

Bayard  Taylor. 

5. 

A   pastor  such    as  Chaucer's  verse  portrays, 
Such  as  the  heaven-taught  skill  of  Herbert  drew 
And  tender  Goldsmith  crowned  with  deathless  praise. 
William  Wordsworth. 

6. 
And  for  my  wisdom — glad  to  know 
Where  the  sweetest  beech-nuts  grow, 
And  to  track  out  the  spicy  root, 

13S 


SUBJECTS  FOR  COMPOSITIONS,  139 

Or  peel  the  musky  core  of  the  wild  berry  shoot ; 

And  how  the  russet  ground-bird  bold 

With  both  slim  feet  at  once  will  lightly  rake  the  mould ; 

And  why  moon-shadows  from  the  swaying  limb 

Here  are  sharp  and  here  are  dim  ; 

And  how  the  ant  his  zigzag  way  can  hold 

Through  the  grass  that  is  a  grove  to  him. 

E.  R.  Sill. 

7. 
All  natural  forms  conform  more  or  less  closely  to  geomet- 
rical ideals  ;  sufficiently  near  to  suggest  these  ideals  to  men 
fitted  to  receive  the  suggestion. 

Thomas  Hill. 


A  single  beech-tree  grew 
Within  this  grove  of  firs  ;   and  on  the  fork 
Of  that  one  beech  appeared  a  thrush's  nest. 

William  Wordsworth. 
9. 
Announced  by  all  the  trumpets  of  the  sky, 
Arrives  the  snow ;  and,  driving  o'er  the  fields, 
Seems  nowhere  to  alight ;  the  whited  air 
Hides  hills  and  woods,  the  river  and  the  heaven, 
And  veils  the  farmhouse  at  the  garden's  end. 
The  sled  and  traveler  stopped,  the  courier's  feet 
Delayed,  all  friends  shut  out,  the  housemates  sit 
In  a  tumultuous  privacy  of  storm. 

R.  W.  Emerson. 
10. 
Be  not  amazed  at  life ;  'tis  still 

The  mode  of  God  with  his  elect, 
Their  hopes  exactly  to  fulfill 

In  times  and  ways  they  least  expect. 

Coventry  Patmore. 


140  SUBJECTS  FOR  COMPOSITIONS, 

II. 

But  tasks  in  hours  of  insight  willed 
Can  be  through  hours  of  gloom  fulfilled. 

Matthew  Arnold. 

12. 

But  the  majestic  river  floated  on 

Out  of  the  mist  and  hum  of  that  low  land 

Into  the  frosty  starlight. 

Matthew  Arnold. 

13. 

Entire  affection  hateth  nicer  hands. 

Edmund  Spenser. 
14. 
Fool !   All  that  is  at  all 
Lasts  ever,  past  recall ; 
Earth  changes,  but  thy  soul  and  God  stand  sure : 
What  entered  into  thee, 
That  was,  is,  and  shall  be : 
Time's  wheel  runs  back  or  stops;  Potter  and  clay  endure. 

Robert  Browning. 

15. 

For  praise  too  dearly  loved  or  warmly  sought 
Enfeebles  all  internal  strength  of  thought ; 
For  the  weak  soul  within  itself  unblest 
Leans  for  all  pleasure  on  another's  breast. 

Oliver  Goldsmith. 
16. 
Genius  is  a  transcendent  capacity  for  taking  trouble. 

Thomas  Carlyle. 

17. 
Go  put  your  creed  into  your  deed. 
Nor  speak  with  double  tongue. 

R.  W.  Emerson. 


SUBJECTS  FOR  COMPOSITIONS,  141 

18. 

He  that  at  twenty  is  not,  at  thirty  knows  not,  and  at  forty 
has  not,  will  never  be,  nor  ever  know,  nor  ever  have. 

Italian  Proverb. 
19. 
Happy  the  man  whose  wish  and  care 

A  few  paternal  acres  bound, 
Content  to  breathe  his  native  air 
In  his  own  ground. 

Alexander  Pope. 
20. 
In  vain  our  pent  wills  fret. 

And  would  the  world  subdue  ; 
Limits  we  did  not  set 
Condition  all  we  do. 

Matthew  Arnold. 

21. 

In  his  cool  hall,  with  haggard  eyes. 

The  Roman  noble  lay  ; 
He  drove  abroad  in  furious  guise. 

Along  the  Appian  Way  ; 

He  made  a  feast,  drank  fierce  and  fast, 
And  crowned  his  hair  with  flowers, — 

No  easier  nor  no  quicker  passed 
The  impracticable  hours. 

Matthew  Arnold. 

22. 
I  want  a  steward,  butler,  cooks, 

A  coachman,  footman,  grooms, 
A  library  of  well-bound  books, 

And  picture-garnished  rooms — 
Correggios,  Magdalen,  and  Night, 


t42  subjects  for  compositions. 

The  Matron  of  the  Chair — 
Guide's  fleet  coursers  in  their  flight, 
And  Claudes,  at  least  a  pair. 

O.  W.  Holmes. 
23. 
In  a  drear-nighted  December, 

Too  happy,  happy  Tree, 
Thy  branches  ne'er  remember 

Their  green  felicity ; 
The  north  cannot  undo  them 
With  a  sleety  whistle  through  them, 
Nor  frozen  thawings  glue  them 
From  budding  at  the  prime. 

John  Keats. 
24. 
Johnnie  Carnegie  lais  heer, 
Descendit  of  Adam  and  Eve, 
Gif  ony  con  ging  hieher 
I'se  willing  give  him  leve. 

Old  Epitaph. 
25. 
Life  is  a  game  the  soul  can  play 
With  fewer  pieces  than  men  say. 

E.  R.  Sill. 
26. 
Look  up  and  not  down, 
Look  forward  and  not  back. 
Look  out  and  not  in, 
Lend  a  hand. 

E.  E.  Hale. 
27. 
Men  may  rise  on  stepping-stones 
Of  their  dead  selves  to  higher  things. 

Alfred  Tennyson. 


SUBJECTS  FOR  COMPOSITIOJVS,  143 

28. 
My  strength  is  as  the  strength  of  ten 
Because  my  heart  is  pure. 

Alfred  Tennyson. 
29. 
No  stir  of  air  was  there, 
Not  so  much  life  as  on  a  summer's  day 
Robs  not  one  h'ght  seed  from  the  feathered  grass, 
But  where  the  dead  leaf  fell  there  did  it  rest. 

John  Keats. 

30. 
Now  who  shall  arbitrate  ? 
Ten  men  love  what  I  hate, 
Shun  what  I  follow,  slight  what  I  receive ; 
Ten,  who  in  ears  and  eyes 
Match  me  ;  we  all  surmise. 
They  this  thing,  and  I  that ;  whom  shall  my  soul  believe  ? 

Robert  Browning. 

31. 
One  impulse  from  a  vernal  wood 

May  teach  you  more  of  man, 
Of  moral  evil  and  of  good. 
Than  all  the  sages  can. 

William  Wordsworth. 

32. 
One  lesson,  shepherd,  let  us  two  divide, 

Taught  both  by  what  she  [Nature]  shows  and  what  con- 
ceals— 
Never  to  blend  our  pleasure  or  our  pride 
With  sorrow  of  the  meanest  thing  that  feels. 

William  Wordsworth. 

33. 
Obedience   is   our  universal   duty  and   destiny;  wherein 


144  SUBJECTS  FOR  COMPOSITIONS, 

whoso  will  not  bend  must  break  ;  too  early  and  too  thor- 
oughly we  cannot  be  trained  to  know  that  Would,  in  this 
world  of  ours,  is  as  a  mere  zero  to  Should,  and  for  most  part 
as  the  smallest  fractions  even  to  Shall. 

Thomas  Carlyle. 

34. 
Observation  alone  can  lead  to  nothing  without  insight — 
without  that  clearness  of  inward  vision  which  sees  more  than 
the  outward  fact,  sees  the  divine  ideal  which  the  fact  par- 
tially embodies. 

Thomas  Hill. 

35. 
People  vmII  not  be  better  than  the  books  they  read. 

Bishop  Potter. 

36. 
Plain  living  and  high  thinking  are  no  more. 

William  Wordsworth. 

37. 
Perhaps  a  man's  character  is  like  a  tree  and  his  reputation 
is  like  its  shadow  ;  the  shadow  is  what  we  think  of  it  ;  the 
tree  is  the  real  thing. 

Abraham  Lincoln. 

33. 
Quoth  a  young  Sadducee  : 
**  Reader  of  many  rolls, 
Is  it  so  certain  we 

Have,  as  they  tell  us,  souls  "  } 

**  Son,  there  is  no  reply  !  " 

The  Rabbi  bit  his  beard  : 
**  Certain,  a  soul  have  / — 

We  may  have  none,"  he  sneer'd. 

Robert  Browning. 


SUBJECTS  FOR  COMPOSITIONS,  145 

39- 
*  Speeding  Saturn  cannot  halt ;  . 

Linger, — thou  shalt  rue  the  fault. 

R.  W.  Emerson. 

40. 
See  how  from  far  upon  the  eastern  road, 
The  star-led  wizards  haste  with  odours  sweet. 

John  Milton. 

41. 
This  day  we  live  in  iss  better  than  any  day  that  wass  be- 
fore, or  iss  to  come,  bekass  it  iss  here  and  we  are  alive. 

William  Black. 

42. 
The  hand  that  rounded  Peter's  dome 
And  groined  the  aisles  of  Christian  Rome, 
Wrought  in  a  sad  sincerity. 

R.  W.  Emerson. 

43. 
The  mind,  that  ocean  where  each  kind 
Does  straight  its  own  resemblance  find  ; 
Yet  it  creates,  transcending  these. 
Far  other  worlds  and  other  seas. 

Andrew  Marvell. 

44- 
To  measure  life  learn  thou  betimes,  and  know 
Toward  solid  good  what  leads  the  nearest  way ; 
For  other  things  mild  Heaven  a  time  ordains, 
And  disapproves  that  care,  though  wise  in  show, 
That  with  superfluous  burdens  loads  the  day, 
And  when  God  sends  a  cheerful  hour,  refrains. 

John  Milton. 


146  SUBJECTS  FOR  COMPOSITIONS. 

45. 

Who,  grown  familiar  with  the  sky,  will  grope 
Henceforward  among  groundlings  ? 

Robert  Browning. 
46. 
Wrong  ever  builds  on  quicksands,  but  the  right 
To  the  firm  center  lays  its  moveless  base. 

J.  R.  Lowell. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

SHORT  POEMS  TO  BE  USED  IN  EXERCISES  OF  THE 
VARIETIES  ILLUSTRATED  IN  THE  LESSONS  OF 
PART  I. 

I. — ABOU    BEN    ADHEM. 

Abou  Ben  Adhem  (may  his  tribe  increase !) 
Awoke  one  night  from  a  deep  dream  of  peace. 
And  saw  within  the  moonlight  in  his  room, 
Making  it  rich  and  like* a  Hly  in  bloom, 
An  angel  writing  in  a  book  of  gold  : 
Exceeding  peace  had  made  Ben  Adhem  bold, 
And  to  the  presence  in  the  room  he  said, 

"  What  writest  thou  ?  "     The  vision  raised  its  head 
And,  with  a  look  made  of  all  sweet  accord, 
Answered,  "  The  names  of  those  who  love  the  Lord." 

"  And  is  mine  one?"  said  Abou.     "  Nay,  not  so," 
Replied  the  angel.     Abou  spoke  more  low. 
But  cheerily  still ;  and  said,  "  I  pray  thee,  then, 
Write  me  as  one  that  loves  his  fellow-men." 
The  angel  wrote,  and  vanished ;  the  next  night 
It  came  again  with  a  great  wakening  light 
And  showed  the  names  whom  love  of  God  had  blest, — 
And  lo,  Ben  Adhem's  name  led  all  the  rest. 

Leigh  Hunt. 

ii.— the  midges  dance  aboon  the  burn. 

The  midges  dance  aboon  the  burn  ; 
The  dews  begin  to  fa' ; 

147 


148  POETICAL  EXERCISES. 

The  pairtricks  clown  the  rushy  holm 

Set  up  their  evening  ca'. 
Now  loud  and  clear  the  blackbird's  sang 

Rings  through  the  briery  shaw, 
While  flitting  gay  the  swallows  play 

Around  the  castle  wa'. 

Beneath  the  golden  gloamin'  sky 

The  mavis  mends  her  lay  ; 
The  redbreast  pours  his  sweetest  strains, 

To  charm  the  ling'ring  day  ; 
While  weary  yaldrins  seem  to  wail 

Their  little  nestlings  torn, 
The  merry  wren,  frae  den  to  den, 

Gaes  jinking  through  the  thorn. 

The  roses  fauld  their  silken  leaves, 

The  foxglove  shuts  its  bell ; 
The  honeysuckle  and  the  birk 

Spread  fragrance  through  the  dell. 
Let  others  crowd  the  giddy  court 

Of  mirth  and  revelry, 
The  simple  joys  that  Nature  yields 

Are  dearer  far  to  me. 

Robert  Tannahill. 


III.  —A   WISH. 

Mine  be  a  cot  beside  the  hill ; 

A  bee-hive's  hum  shall  soothe  my  ear 
A  willowy  brook  that  turns  a  mill, 

With  many  a  fall  shall  linger  near. 

The  swallow,  oft,  beneath  my  thatch 
Shall  twitter  from  her  clay-built  nest ; 


POETICAL   EXERCISES,  I49 

Oft  shall  the  pilgrim  lift  the  latch, 

And  share  my  meal,  a  welcome  guest. 

Around  my  ivied  porch  shall  spring 

Each  fragrant  flower  that  drinks  the  dew ; 

And  Lucy,  at  her  wheel,  shall  sing 
In  russet  gown  and  apron  blue. 

The  village  church  among  the  trees. 

Where  first  our  marriage-vows  were  given. 

With  merry  peals  shall  swell  the  breeze. 
And  point  with  taper  spire  to  heaven. 

Samuel  Rogers. 

iv.— the  bird. 

Hither  thou  com'st.     The  busy  wind  all  night 

Blew  through  thy  lodging,  where  thy  own  warm  wing 

Thy  pillow  was.     Many  a  sullen  storm. 

For  which  coarse  man  seems  much  the  fitter  born. 

Rained  on  thy  bed 

And  harmless  head ; 

And  now,  as  fresh  and  cheerful  as  the  light, 
Thy  little  heart  in  early  hymns  doth  sing 
Unto  that  Providence  whose  unseen  arm 
Curbed  them,  and  clothed  thee  well  and  warm. 
All  things  that  be  praise  Him ;  and  had 
Their  lesson  taught  them  when  first  made. 

Henry  Vaughan. 

V. — the  lost  love. 

She  dwelt  among  the  untrodden  ways 

Beside  the  springs  of  Dove ; 
A  maid  whom  there  were  none  to  praise 

And  very  few  to  love. 


ISO  POETICAL   EXERCISES. 

A  violet  by  a  mossy  stone 

Half-hidden  from  the  eye ! 
Fair  as  a  star,  when  only  one 

Is  shining  in  the  sky. 

She  lived  unknown,  and  few  could  know 

When  Lucy  ceased  lo  be; 
But  she  is  in  her  grave,  and  O  ! 

The  difference  to  me  ! 

William  Wordsworth. 


VI.— OZYMANDIAS   OF   EGYPT. 

I  met  a  traveller  from  an  antique  land 
Who  said  :  Two  vast  and  trunkless  legs  of  stone 
Stand  in  the  desert.     Near  them  on  the  sand 
Half  sunk,  a  shattered  visage  lies,  whose  frown 
And  wrinkled  lip  and  sneer  of  cold  command 
Tell  that  its  sculptor  well  those  passions  read 
Which  yet  survive,  stamp'd  on  those  lifeless  things, 
The  hand  that  mock'd  them  and  the  heart  that  fed ; 
And  on  the  pedestal  these  words  appear  : 
"  My  name  is  Ozymandias,  king  of  kings ; 
Look  on  my  works,  ye  Mighty,  and  despair !  " 
Nothing  beside  remains.     Round  the  decay 
Of  that  colossal  wreck,  boundless  and  bare, 
The  lone  and  level  sands  stretch  far  away. 

P.  B.  Shelley. 


VII.— THE   GUITAR. 

*  *  *  *  ijt 

The  artist  who  this  viol  wrought 
To  echo  all  harmonious  thought 
Felled  a  tree,  while  on  the  steep 


POETICAL  EXERCISES,  15' 

The  woods  were  in  their  winter  sleep, 

Rocked  in  that  repose  divine 

On  the  wind-swept  Appenine  ; 

And  dreaming,  some  of  autumn  past. 

And  some  of  spring  approaching  fast, 

And  some  of  April  buds  and  showers. 

And  some  of  songs  in  July  bowers, 

And  all  of  love  ;  and  so  this  tree — 

O  that  such  our  death  may  be  ! — 

Died  in  sleep,  and  felt  no  pain. 

To  live  in  happier  form  agam  : 

From  which,  beneath  Heaven's  fairest  star, 

The  artist  wrought  this  loved  Guitar ; 

And  taught  it  justly  to  reply 

To  all  who  question  skillfully 

In  language  gentle  as  thine  own  ; 

Whispering  in  enam.oured  tone 

Sweet  oracles  of  woods  and  dells, 

And  summer  winds  in  sylvan  cells  ; 

For  it  had  learned  all  harmonies 

Of  the  plains  and  of  the  skies. 

Of  the  forests  and  the  mountains, 

And  the  many-voiced  fountains  ; 

The  clearest  echoes  of  the  hills. 

The  softest  notes  of  falling  rills. 

The  melodies  of  birds  and  bees, 

The  murmuring  of  summer  seas. 

And  pattering  rain,  and  breathing  deWp 

And  airs  of  evening ;  and  it  knew 

That  seldom-heard  mysterious  sound 

Which,  driven  on  its  diurnal  round. 

As  it  floats  through  boundless  day. 

Our  world  enkindles  on  its  way  : 

All  this  it  knows,  but  will  not  tell 
To  those  who  cannot  question  well 


152  POETICAL  EXERCISES. 

The  spirit  that  inhabits  it ; 
It  talks  according  to  the  wit 
Of  its  companions  ;  and  no  more 
Is  heard  than  has  been  felt  before 
By  those  who  tempt  it  to  betray 
These  secrets  of  an  elder  day. 
But,  sweetly  as  its  answers  will 
Flatter  hands  of  perfect  skill, 
It  keeps  its  highest,  holiest  tone 
For  one  beloved  Friend  alone. 

P.  B.  Shelley. 


Vin.— THE  WIDOW    BIRD. 

A  widow  bird  sate  mourning  for  her  Love 

Upon  a  wintry  bough  ; 
The  frozen  wind  crept  on  above, 

The  freezing  stream  below. 

There  was  no  leaf  upon  the  forest  bare. 

No  flower  upon  the  ground. 
And  little  motion  in  the  air. 

Except  the  mill-wheel's  sound. 

P.  B.  ShelleYc 


IX.— FROM  "  THE   REALM  OF    FANCY." 

.     .     .     Thou  shalt  hear 
Distant  harvest  carols  clear  ; 
Rustle  of  the  reaped  corn  ; 
Sweet  birds  antheming  the  morn  : 
And  in  the  same  moment — hark  ! 
'Tis  the  early  April  lark. 
Or  the  rooks,  with  busy  caw, 
Foraging  for  sticks  and  straw. 


POETICAL  EXERCISES.  153 

Thou  shalt,  at  one  glance,  behold 
The  daisy  and  the  marigold  ; 
White-plumed  lilies  and  the  first 
Hedge-grown  primrose  that  hath  burst ; 
Shaded  hyacinth,  alway 
Sapphire  queen  of  the  mid-May  ; 
And  every  leaf,  and  every  flower. 
Pearled  with  the  self-same  shower. 
Thou  shalt  see  the  field-mouse  peep 
Meagre  from  his  celled  sleep  ; 
And  the  snake  all  winter-thin 
Cast  on  sunny  bank  its  skin  ; 
Freckled  nest  eggs  thou  shalt  see 
Hatching  in  the  hawthorn  tree, 
When  the  hen-bird's  wing  doth  rest 
Quiet  on  her  mossy  nest ; 
Then  the  hurry  and  alarm, 
When  the  bee-hive  casts  its  swarm  ; 
Acorns  ripe  down-pattering 
While  the  autumn  breezes  sing. 

John  Keats. 

x.-— the  quiet  life. 

Happy  the  man,  whose  wish  and  care 

A  few  paternal  acres  bound, 
Content  to  breathe  his  native  air 

In  his  own  ground. 

Whose  herds  with  milk,  whose  fields  with  bread. 

Whose  flocks  supply  him  with  attire  ; 
Whose  trees  in  summer  yield  him  shade. 
In  winter,  fire. 

Blest,  who  can  unconcern 'dly  find 
Hours,  days,  and  years  slide  soft  away 


154  POETICAL  EXERCISES. 

In  health  of  body,  peace  of  mind, 
Quiet  ])y  day, 

Sound  sleep  by  night ;  study  and  ease 
Together  mix'd  ;  sweet  recreation, 
And  innocence,  which  most  does  please 
With  meditation. 

Thus  let  me  live,  unseen,  unknown  ; 

Thus  unlamented  let  me  die  ; 
Steal  from  the  world,  and  not  a  stone 
Tell  where  I  lie. 

Alexander  Pope. 


XI.— THE   noble   nature. 

It  is  not  growing  like  a  tree 

In  bulk,  doth  make  Man  better  be  ; 
Or  standing  long  an  oak,  three  hundred  year, 
•  To  fall  a  log  at  last,  dry,  bald,  and  sere  : 
A  lily  of  a  d^y 
Is  fairer  far  in  May, 
Although  it  fall  and  die  that  night — 

It  was  the  plant  and  flower  of  Light. 
In  small  proportions  we  just  beauties  see ; 
And  in  short  measures  life  may  perfect  be. 

Ben  Jonson. 


xiL— the  lessons  of  nature. 

Of  this  fair  volume  which  we  World  do  name 
If  we  the  sheets  and  leaves  could  turn  with  care, 

Of  him  wlio  it  corrects,  and  did  it  frame, 

We  clear  might  read  the  art  and  wisdom  rare. 


POETICAL  EXERCISES.  155 

Find  out  his  power  which  wildest  powers  doth  tame, 

His  providence  extending  everywhere, 
His  justice  which  proud  rebels  doth  not  spare, 

In  every  page,  no  period  of  the  same. 

But  silly  we,  like  foolish  children,  rest 

Well  pleased  with  colour'd  vellum,  leaves  of  gold, 

Fair  dangling  ribbands,  leaving  what  is  best, 
On  the  great  writer's  sense  ne'er  taking  hold  ; 

Or  if  by  chance  we  stay  our  minds  on  aught. 
It  is  some  picture  on  the  margin  wrought. 

William  Drummond. 


XIII.— THE   REVERIE  OF   POOR   SUSAN. 

At  the  corner  of  Wood  Street,  when  daylight  appears. 
Hangs  a  Thrush  that  sings  loud,  it  has  sung  for  three  years  : 
Poor  Susan  has  pass'rl  by  the  spot,  and  has  heard 
In  the  silence  of  morning  the  song  of  the  bird. 

'Tis  a  note  of  enchantment ;  what  ails  her  .^     She  sees 
A  mountain  ascending,  a  vision  of  trees  ; 
Bright  volumes  of  vapour  through  Lothbury  glide. 
And  a  river  flows  on  through  the  vale  of  Cheapside. 

Green  pastures  she  views  in  the  midst  of  the  dale 
Down  which  she  so  often  has  tripp'd  with  her  pail  ; 
And  a  single  small  cottage,  a  nest  like  a  dove's. 
The  one  only  dwelling  on  earth  that  she  loves. 

She  looks,  and  her  heart  is  in  heaven  ;  but  they  fade, 
The  mist  and  the  river,  the  hill  and  the  shade ; 
The  stream  will  nofflow  and  the  hill  will  not  rise. 
And  the  colors  have  all  passed  away  from  her  eyes ! 

William  Wordsworth. 


IS^  POETICAL  EXERCISES. 

XIV.— A   STRIP   OF   BLUE. 

I  do  not  own  an  inch  of  land, 

But  all  I  see  is  mine, — 
The  orchard  and  the  mowing-fields, 

The  lawns  and  gardens  fine. 
The  winds  my  tax-collectors  are. 

They  bring  me  tithes  divine. — 
Wild  scents  and  subtle  essences 

A  tribute  rare  and  free. 
And  more  magnificent  than  all. 

My  window  keeps  for  me 
A  glimpse  of  the  immensity, — 

A  little  strip  of  sea. 

Here  sit  I,  as  a  little  child  : 

The  threshold  of  God's  door 
Is  that  clear  band  of  chrysoprase ; 

Now  the  vast  temple  floor. 
The  blinding  glory  of  the  dome 

I  bow  my  head  before  : 
The  universe,  O  God,  is  home 

In  height  or  depth,  to  me ; 
Set  here  upon  thy  footstool  green. 

Content  am  I  to  be ; 
Glad,  when  is  opened  to  my  need 

Some  sea-like  glimpse  of  thee. 

Lucy  Larcom. 


XV.— UNDER  THE  GREENWOOD   TREE. 


Under  the  greenwood  tree 
Who  loves  to  lie  with  me. 
And  tune  his  merry  note 
Unto  the  sweet  bird's  throat- 


POETICAL  EXERCISES.  157 

Come  hither,  come  hither,  come  hither! 

Here  shall  he  see 

No  enemy 
But  winter  and  rough  weather. 

Who  doth  ambition  shun 

And  loves  to  live  i'  the  sun. 

Seeking  the  food  he  eats 

And  pleased  witli  what  he  gets — 

Come  hither,  come  hither,  come  hither ! 

Here  shall  he  see 

No  enemy 
But  winter  and  rough  weather. 

William  Shakespeare. 


XVI. — THE  AZIOLA. 

"  Do  you  hear  the  Aziola  cry  ? 
Methinks  she  must  be*  nigh  " — 
Said  Mary  as  we  sate 
In  dusk,  ere  the  stars  were  lit,  or  candles  brought ; 
And  I,  who  thought 

This  Aziola  was  some  tedious  woman, 

Asked,  ••  Who  is  Aziola.^  "     How  elate 
I  felt  to  know  that  it  was  nothing  human, 
No  mockery  of  myself  to  fear  and  hate  ! 
And  Mary  saw  my  soul 
And  laughed  and  said,  "  Disquiet  yourself  not, 
'Tis  nothing  but  a  little  downy  owl." 

Sad  Aziola  !  many  an  eventide 

Thy  music  I  had  heard 
By  wood  and  stream,  meadow  and  mountain  side, 
And  field  and  marshes  wide — 

Such  as  nor  voice,  nor  lute,  nor  wind,  nor  bird, 


158  POETICAL  EXERCISES. 

The  soul  ever  stirred  : 
Unlike  and  far  sweeter  than  they  all : 
Sad  Aziola !  from  that  moment,  I 
Loved  thee  and  thy  sad  cry. 

P.  B.  Shelley. 


XVn. — THE  FOUNTAIN. 

A  Conversaiz'on. 

We  talked  with  open  heart,  and  tongue 

Affectionate  and  true, 
A  pair  of  friends,  though  I  was  young, 

A.nd  Matthew  seventy-two. 

We  lay  beneath  a  spreading  oak. 

Beside  a  mossy  seat ; 
And  from  the  turf  a  fountain  broke 

And  gurgled  at  our  feet. 

*'  Now,  Matthew  !  "  said  I,  "  let  us  match 

This  water's  pleasant  tune 
With  some  old  border  song,  or  catch 

That  suits  a  summer's  noon. 

"  Or  of  the  church-clock  and  the  chimes 

Sing  here  beneath  the  shade 
That  half-mad  thing  of  witty  rhymes 

Which  you  last  April  made  !  " 

In  silence  Matthew  lay,  and  eyed 
The  spring  beneath  the  tree ; 

And  thus  the  dear  old  man  replied, 
The  gray-haired  man  of  glee  : 

**  No  check,  no  stay,  this  streamlet  fears. 
How  merrily  it  goes  ! 


POETICAL  EXERCISES.  159 

'Twill  murmur  on  a  thousand  years 
And  flow  as  now  it  flows. 

"  And  here,  on  this  delightful  day 

I  cannot  choose  but  think 
•How  oft,  a  vigorous  man,  I  lay 
Beside  this  fountain's  brink. 

"  My  eyes  are  dim  with  childish  tears, 

My  heart  is  idly  stirred. 
For  the  same  sound  is  in  my  ears 

That  in  those  days  I  heard. 

"  Thus  fares  it  still  in  our  decay ; 

And  yet  the  wiser  mind 
Mourns  less  for  what  Age  takes  away, 

Than  what  it  leaves  behind. 

"  The  blackbird  amid  leafy  tree — 

The  lark  above  the  hill 
Let  loose  their  carols  when  they  please, 

Are  quiet  when  they  will. 

"  With  Nature  never  do  they  wage 

A  foolish  strife ;  they  see 
A  happy  youth,  and  their  old  age 

Is  beautiful  and  free. 

'*  But  we  are  pressed  by  heavy  laws ; 

And  often,  glad  no  more, 
We  wear  a  face  of  joy,  because 

We  have  been  glad  of  yore. 

*'  If  there  be  one  who  need  bemoan 

His  kindred  laid  in  earth, 
The  household  hearts  that  were  his  own, 

It  is  the  man  of  mirth. 


l6o  POETICAL  EXERCISES. 

'*  My  days,  my  friend,  are  almost  gone, 

My  life  has  been  approved, 
And  many  love  me ;  but  by  none 

Am  I  enough  beloved." 

"  Now  both  himself  and  me  he  wrongs, 

The  man  who  thus  complains  ! 
I  live  and  sing  my  idle  songs 

Upon  these  happy  plains  : 

"  And  Matthew,  for  thy  children  dead 

I'll  be  a  son  to  thee  !  " 
At  this  he  grasped  my  hand  and  said, 

"  Alas  !  that  cannot  be." 

We  rose  up  from  the  fountain-side ; 

And  down  the  smooth  descent 
Of  the  green  sheep-track  did  we  glide ; 

And  through  the  wood  we  went ; 

And  ere  we  came  to  Leonard's  Rock 

He  sang  those  witty  rhymes 
About  the  crazy  old  church  clock, 

And  the  bewildered  chimes. 

William  Wordsworth. 


THE   END. 


INDEX. 


Abbott,  Jacob:   "  Rollo  Books," 

lOO 

Accidents,  64 
Accuracy,  45,  74,  91 
Adams,    John     Quincy:      "  Man 
Wants  but  Little  Here  Below," 

65 
Adaptation  of  parts  of  animals  to 

mode  of  life,  32 
Adjective  clauses,  120 
Adjectives,  86,  119 
Adulteration,  62 
Adverbial  construction,  114 
Adverbs,  no,  119 
Affectation  in  writing,  viii 
Affections,  how  to  work  on,  64 
Allusions,  95,  116 
Alphabetical  order,  97,  120 
Analysis,  95,  117 
Anatomy  of  animals,  28 
"And,"  122 

Anglo-Saxon  words,  119,  120 
Animal  life,  study  of  lower  forms 

of,  31 
Animals,  27,  28,  32,  48,  102,  133, 

135 
Annotation,  112,  119 
Apostrophe,  116 

Appleton's  "  Readers,"  60,  74,  84 
Arnold,  Matthew  :  Extracts,  140, 

141 
Arrangement,  19,  95,  104 
Argument,  j'5 
Arithmetic,  80,  87 
Attitude,  natural,  81 
Audubon,    John  James,  "Life," 

29 
Author's    construction    analyzed, 

"3 


Barnes  :  "  History  of  the  United 
States,"  60 

Barometer,  use  of,  46 

Bees,  study  of,  31 

Beetles,  132 

Biographical  sketches,  128 

Birds,  28,  29  ;  literature  of,  29, 
132 

Black,  William  : 
Extract,  145 
"  Princess  of  Thule,  A,"  56 

Blackboard  work  ;  ix,  x,  12,  14, 
19,  21,  25,  26,  52,  54,  70,  82,  84, 
88,  89,  103 

Books,  ignorance  of,  98  ;  love  of, 
T13  ;  reading  harmful,  79  ;  stan- 
dard, 123  ;  to  read,  29,  30,  note 

Botany,  study  of,  33 

Boys,  as  bread-makers,  62 

Bread,  61,  62 

Bridges,  50 

Brook,  a  (example),  36,  37  ;  liter- 
ature of,  36 

Browning,  Robert  : 

Extracts,  138,  140,  143,  144,  146 
"  Home  Thoughts  from 
Abroad,"  40 

Bryant,  William  Cullen  : 
"  Among  the  Trees,"  39 
"  Forest  Hymn,  The,"  39 
"  Inscription  for  an  Entrance  to 

a  Wood,"  41 
"  Planting  of  the  Apple-Tree, 
The,"  39 

Building,  55  ;  literature  of,  56 

Bunyan,  John:  "The  Pilgrim's 
Progress,"  99,  100 

Burns,  Robert :  "  The  Cotter's 
Saturday  Night,"  56 


161 


l62 


INDEX. 


Burroughs,  John,  29,  127 
Burrs,  34 
Butter,  61 

California  Series  of  Readers,  74, 

84 
Canning  peaches  (example),  63 
Canon  (example),  41 
Carlyle,  Thomas  : 

Extracts,  140,  144 

"  Hero  Worship,"  119 

"Sartor  Resartus,"  119 
Cary,  Alice  : 

"  Order  for  a  Picture,  An,"  94 

"  Pictures  from  Memory,"  93 
Caterpillar  (example),  43 
Character  sketches,  126 
Characters,  function  of,  118  ;    to 

be  studied,  95,  96  ;  examples,  96 
Chaucer,  Geoffrey  : 

"  Canterbury  Tales,  The,"  39 

"  Squier's  Tale,  The,"  119 
Chemistry,  76 
Children,  matters  of  ignorance  in 

city,  55  ;   indolent,  52 ;   unnoti- 

cing,  52  ;  visionary  life  of,  51 
Christmas  decorations,  58 
Chrysalis,  transformation  of,  43 
City,  subject,  49 

City   schools,  materials  for  com- 
position in,  61 
Civil  war,  subject,  49 
Class  exercises,  103 
Classes,    large,    70 ;    lessons    for 

very  young,  26  ;  small,  70 
Classification,  95,  120,  121 
Clauses,  20,  117,  120 
Clouds,  observation  of,  47 
Color,  expression  of,  83 
Comma,  120 
Commendation,  vii,  19 
Common  errors,68-70, 90,  124,  125 
Comparison,  32,  58-60,  92,  132 
Composition,  iii 

books,  72  ;  inspection  of,  72 

by  class,  21 

choosing  sides  in,  21 

continuous  thread  in,  91 

correct  examples,  70 

correct,  not  necessarily  good,  71 

descriptive,  63 

early  work  in,  11 

examples  of  uninteresting,  71 


C  omposi  ti  on — con  tm  ued. 

home,  not  for  children,  vii 

how  not  to  teach,  viii 

interest  in,  11,  113,  114 

letters,  77 

materials  for,    in   country   dis- 
tricts, 61 

mechanics  of,  ix 

natural  materials  for,  47,  48 

oral,  68 

plans  for,  26 

reading  in  class,  13,  70,  71,  78 

regular  time  for,  vii 

schemes  for,  26 

subjects  for,  138-146 

the  word,  vii 

truth-telling  in,  viii,  16,  76,  102, 
122 

use  of  pictures  in,  77 

where  to  be  prepared,  71 
Compound  tenses,  119 

words,  120 
Condensation,  120 
Confidence,  how  instilled,  19 
Conjunctions,  119 
Connected  discourse,  118 
Connection,  91,  118 
Connectives,  study  of,  118 
Consecutive  thinking,  to  cultivate, 

19 
Construction,  81,  92,  112-114,  121 
Conversation  lessons,  24,   26,  33, 

36,  42,  98 
Cooper,  James  Fenimore  : 

"  Leatherstocking  Tales,"  100 

"Pilot,  The,"  100 

*'  Spy,  The,"  100 
Copying,  102,  123 
Correction  of  papers,  viii 
Correctness,  vii 
Country  districts,  51,  61 
Country  roads,  plants  of  the,  33 
Country  schools,  facilities  in,  47 
County,  subject,  49 
Couplets,  118 
Cowper,  William:  "John  Gilpin," 

94,  126 
Criticism,  31,  106  ;    class,  14,   21, 

62,    71;    of     individuals,     70   ; 

only  on  matter  and  writing,  71; 

oral,  70,  71  ;  written,  53 
Curiosities, as  subjects,  48,  114,132 
Current  events,  69 ;  literature  of,  31 


INDEX, 


163 


Darning,  63,  64 
Decorations,  58 
Defoe,      Daniel   :      *'   Robinson 

Crusoe,"  99 
Dependent  clauses,  117 
Description,  103,  112 
Descriptive  adjectives,  119 
Detail,  52,  74,  91 
Diagrams,    use  of,    81  ;  weather, 

47 

Dialogue,  74,  87,  92,  97 

Dictation,  91 

Diction,  correct,  68-70 

Dictionary,  use  of,  90 

Digitigrade  animals,  28 

Dignity,  61 

Dinner,  66 

Direct  discourse,  119 

Discipline,  aids  to,  105 

Discussion,  69 

District,  as  subject,  49 

Dog-fennel,  tradition,  34 

Dogs,  1^3 

Domestic  economy,  61;  manufac- 
tures, 61 

Drainage,  as  subject,  50 

Dramatic  poems,  118 

Drawings,  use  of,  24,  26,  30,  34, 
35,  38,  39,  43,  46,  54,  130, 131 

Dreams,  52,  133 

Drummond,  William:  '*  The  Les- 
sons of  Nature,"  154 

Drunkards,  50 

Dumb  show,  74-76 

Early  life,  as  subject,  51 

Early  settlers,  49 

"  Eclectic  First  Reader,"  60 

"  Educating  up,"  98 

Eggleston,   Edward,   128;  "The 

Hoosier  Schoolmaster,"  58 
Elegies,  128 
Elocution,  80 
Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo,  127 

Extracts,  139,  140,  145 

'*  In  my  Garden,"  41 

"Mountain   and   the   Squirrel, 
The,"  93 

"  Two  Rivers,"  37 

"  Wood  Notes,"  39 
Emphasis,  81,  82 
Encyclopaedias,  vii,  28 
English,  study  of,  iii,  v,  126 


Engravings,  use  of,  30,  77 

Enthusiasm,  114 

Entomology,  30 

Enunciation,  distinct,  81 

Epitaph,  old,  142 

Errors,  correction  of,  71  ;  gram- 
matical, 68-70  ;  in  speaking,  124 

Essays,  literary,  126 

Ethical  points,  64 

Etymology,  no,  112,  116,  117 

Exactness,  ix 

Exaggeration,   122 

Exclamation,  116 

Excursions,  52,  53 

Exercises,  82-87,  ^^1 

Expansion,  of  compound  words, 
120  ;  of  figures,  112 

Experiments,  54 

Explanations  to  pupils,  67,  72,  98 

Expression,  ease  of,  how  culti- 
vated, 19  ;  freedom  of,  how  en- 
couraged, 19  ;  natural,  81  ;  of 
author's  thought,  81 

Extravagance,  loi 

Eyes,  133 

Facility,    gained  by    practice,   v, 

42;  of  expression,  want  of,  36 
Familiar  examples  to  be  used,  11, 

14,  19,  24,  27,  28,  33,  37 
Feeling,  saving  in,  86 
Feelings,  how  to  work  on,  64 
Field,  a  (example),  39;  literature 

of,  40 
Figures,  95,  112,  114,  116,  121 
"  First  Reader,"  60,  74,  84,  107 
Fish-markets  as  supply  of  objects, 

Flour,  manufacture,  62 
Flowers,  128,  129 
F'orms,  study  of,  113 
"  Fourth  Readers,"  86 
French  darning,  64 
Fresh-water  specimens,  how  ob- 
tained, 31 
Furnishing,  66 

Games,  53 

General  suggestions,  70,  122 
Geography,  18,  46,  47,  87 
Gesticulation,  82 
Gildersleeve,  Mrs.,  "  Mrs.  Lofty," 
60 


164 


INDEX. 


Goldsmith,  Oliver,  128 

"  Deserted  Village,  The,"  58 
Extracts,  138,  140 

Good  temper,  importance  of,  102 

Gorge  (example),  41 

Grain,  62 

Grammar,  relation  to  reading,  80 

Grammatical  analysis,  95,  97;  con- 
struction, 92,  114,  117 

Gray,  Asa  : 

"  Field  Botany,"  35 

*'  How  Plants  Grow,"  35 

"  Structural  Botany,"  35 

Habit,  26 

Hale,  Edward  Everett  : 

Extracts,  142 

*'  How  to  Do  It,"  99 

"  In  His  Name,"  100,  126, 128 

"  Man  without  a  Country,  The," 
100 

"  New  Crusade,  The,"  100 

on  drawing,  v 

"  Ten  Times  One  is  Ten,"  100 
Handwriting,  ix 
Harmony  in  parts  of  story,  loi 
Hawthorne,  Nathaniel,  103,  119 

"  David  Swan,"  96 

"  Great  Stone  Face,  The,"  95, 
100 

Life  of,  65 

"  Snow  Image,  The,"  96 
Health,  50,   62,  102  ;  intellectual 

and  moral,  101 
Higginson,  Thomas  Went  worth: 

"  History  of  the  United  States," 

60 
High-school  classes,  exercises  for, 

14,  76 
Hill,  Thomas,  extracts,  139,  144 
Hints,  to  children, 72  ;  to  teachers, 

67,  94,  99,  104,  122,  126 
Historical  exercises,  18,  23 
History,  49,  87 
Holmes.    Oliver    Wendell,    127  ; 

extracts,  141,  142 
Home  life,  64  ;  papers,  66 
Homer : 

"  Iliad,  The,"  tales  from,  100 

*'  Odyssey,  The,"  100 
Horse,  the,  134,  136 
House  topics,  55,  66 


Hughes,  Thomas  :  "  Tom  Brown 

at  Rugby,"  100 
Hunt,  Leigh:  "  Abouben  Adhem, 

93,  147 
Huxley,      Prof.,     on     study     of 

English,  V 
Hydrodynamic  experiments,  54 
Hypercriticism,  71 

Iambics,  118 

Ideas,  connecting,  118 

Idioms,  114 

Illustrated  text-books,  79 

Imaginary  conversations,  119 

Imaginary  details,  supplying,  91 

Imaginative  minds,  advantage  of, 

63 

Inattention,  98 

Independent  thinking  (example), 

97 
Industry,  importance  of,  102 
Inflection,  81 
Ingelow,  Jean  : 

*'  Light  and  Shade,"  94 

*'  Supper  at  the  Mill,"  96 
Ingenuity,  how  cultivated,  19 
Insects,  30,  34,  130,  133 
Insincerity  in  writing,  viii 
Instructions,  ix,  122 
Instruments,  keepers  of,  46,  47 
Interest,  113,  114 
Interrogation,  116 
Introductory  suggestions,  vii 
Invented  stories,  25,  26,  28,  31 
Invention,  loi 
Inverted  expressions,  86 
Investigation,  importance  of,  48 
Irving,  Washington  :  103,  128 

"  Abbotsford,"  65 

"  Legend  of     Sleepy    Hollow, 
The,"  58,  103,  113 
Isaiah,  examples  from,  109 

Jackson,  Helen  Hunt:  "The 
Hickory  Tree,"  39 

Jamestown  weed,  34 

Jews,  134 

Job,  examples  from,  109 

"Johnny  Appleseed,"  34,  134 

Jonson,  Ben  :  "The  Noble  Na- 
ture," 154 

Journal,  keeping,  43,  105,  106 


INDEX. 


165 


Keats,  John,   120 

Extracts,   142,  143,  152 

*'  Hyperion,"  119,  126 

"  Nightingale,  The,"  29 

*'  Realm  of  Fancy,  The,"  152 

Kindness,  65,  102 

"  King  Arthur,  The  Boys',"  100 

Kingsley,  Charles  :   "  The  Water 
Babies,"  99 

Knitting,  64 

Knowledge,  how  transmitted,  48 

Known  facts,  expression  of,  19 

Labor,  saving,  86 
Lake  systems,  47 
Lamb,    Charles:     "Tales    from 

Shakespeare,"  96,  100 
Landscape,  the,  36 
Language,  bombastic,  118 ;  correct 

use  of,  68-70;    figurative,    117, 

118;  newspaper,  118;  poetical, 

118;   simplification  of,  98;  use 

of,  iii-v 
Larconi,  Lucy  :  "A  Strip  of  Blue," 

156 
Larvce,  etc.,  30 
Latin  words,  120 
Leaves,  136 
Lesson,    presentation,    ix  ;    time, 

division  of,  70,  71 
Letter  and  spirit,  113 
Letter  composition,  77 
Lincoln,   Abraham,  128;  extract, 

144 
Literary  tastes,  129 
Living  beings,  27 
Local  geography,  46 ;  history,  49 
Logical  connection,  115 
Long  sentences,  122 
Longfellow,  Henry   Wadsworth, 
60,  127,  129 

"  Bell  of  Atri,  The,"  93,  134 

"  Birds  of  Killingworth,  The," 

29»  93 
"  Children's  Hour,  The,"  65 
"  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish, 

The,"  60 
"  Emperor's  Bird-Nest,   The," 

29,93 
"Evangeline,"  41,  60,  113,  119 
**  Excelsior,"  94 
**  Falcon  of  Ser  Federigo,  The," 

29.94 


"  Haroun  al  Raschid,"  93 

"  Hiawatha,"  41 

"  Morituri  Salutamus,"  iii 

"  Norman  Baron,  The,"  93 

'•  Old  Clock  on  the  Stairs,  The," 
65 

"Old   House  by  the   Lindens, 
The,"  56 

"  Psalm  of  Life,  A,"  88 

"Three  Kings,  The,"  93 

"Three    Silences   of    Molinos, 
The,"  120 

"  Village  Blacksmith,  The,"  94 
Love,  65 

Lowell,   James   Russell,  60,  iii, 
119,  120,  127,  129 

"  Beaver  Brook,"  37 

"  Beggar,  The,"  39 

"  Commemoration  Ode,"  121 

"  DandeHon,  The,"  34 

"  Dead  House,  The,"  56 

Extract,  146 

"  Falcon,  The,"  29 

"  Fountain,  The,"  37 

"  Fountain  of  Youth,  The,"  37 

"  Nightingale     in    the    Study, 
The,"  29 

"Oak,  the,"  39 

"  Parable,  A,"  94,  120 

"  Rhoecus,"  39 

"  Singing  Leaves,  The,"  94 

"  Sir  Launfal's  Vision,"  37 

"  To  a  Pine  Tree,"  39 

"  Under  the  Willows,"  39 
Lower  grammar  grades,  exercises 

for,  14 
Luncheon,  62 

Macdonald,  George,  128 

"  Alec  Forbes  of  Howglen,"  58 
"  Princess    and     the    Goblins, 

The,"  99 
"  Sir  Gibbie,"  40 
"Warlock  of  Glen  Warlock," 

65 
Machinery,  54,  131 
Mackay,  Charles:  "  Cleon  and  I," 

60 
Magazine  pictures,  use  of,  78 
Magnifying-glass,  use  of,  30,  34 
Manners,  to  improve,  69 
Manufactories,  visits  to,  53,  54 
Manufactures,  48, 60,  61 


i66 


INDEX. 


Maps,  46,  47,  98 

Margins,  ix 

Markets,  fish,  as  supply  of  objects, 

31 
Marvell,  Andrew,  extract,  145 
McGuffey's  *'  First    Reader,"  74, 

82,  84 
Meal,  manufacture,  62 
Meanings  to  be  studied,  95 
Measure,  115 
Melody,  116 

Memorizing,  90,  105,  in,  123 
Memory,  to  cultivate,  19  ;  writing 

from,  III 
Mending,  63,  64 
Mental,  pictures,  17,  18;  processes, 

indexes  of,  loi 
Metaphor,  116,  117 
Metaphrase,  86,  91,  117 
Method,  26 
Metonymy,  116 
Metrical  lessons,  86 
Microscope,  uses  of,  128 
Milton,  John,  119,  120 

"  Comus,"  119 

extracts,  145 

influence  of,  129 

"  Lycidas,"  119,  130 

paraphrasing,  90 
Minerals,  48 
Mistakes,    common,    68-70  ;     of 

young  children  to  be    person- 
ally corrected,  71  ;  repeated,  70, 

123 
Modes,  exercises  in,  85 
Moral  health,  indexes  to,  loi 
Morals,  to  improve,  69 
Morris,   William  :     "  Woodman, 

Spare  that  Tree,"  39 
Mountain  chains,  47 
Museum  studies,  28 

Names,  curious,  132;    of  places, 

for  exercises,  18 
Narrative  lesson,  82 
Natural  history,  128,  135  ;  use  of 
works  on,  28 

phenomena,  42,  46 
Neatness,  vii,  ix,  102 
Neighborhood,  as  subject,  49 
New  lessons,  introducing,    67,  72 
Newspaper  reading,  69 


Newspapers,  family,  69  ;  harmful, 

79 
Nonsense,  to  be  avoided,  loi 
Nouns,  119 

Novels,  study  of  style  in,  126 
Nut-sprouting  (example),  43 

Obedience,  102 

Objects,  manufactured,  25  ;  nat- 
ural, 24 

Obliging,  importance  of  being, 
102 

Observation,  46,  48,  59,  64 ;  dif- 
ferences in,  106;  of  pupils,  113 

Older   pupils,  studies  for,  95,  113 

Old  papers,  use  of,  71 

"  One  day,"  phrase,  82 

Oral  exercises,  19,  28,  31,  99; 
paraphrasing,  90 

Order  in  thought,  26 

Original  fables,  102,  131 ;  stories. 

Orthography,  116 
Outline  drawing,  54 
Overwork,  to  be  avoided,  viii 

Packard  :  "  Elements  of  Entom- 
ology," 30 

Pantomimes,  74-76 

Papers,  folding,  ix 
read  by  authors,  53 

Paragraphs,  ix,  x,  25,  117 

Paraphrase,  88-90,  95,  115,  117 

Parents,  appreciation  of,  64  ;  talk- 
ing to,  123  ;  to  be  interested,  58 

Parish,  as  subject,  49 

Passages,  selected,  in,  119 

Patching,  63 

Patmore,   Coventry  :  extract,  139 

Pauses,  81,  82 

Pentameters,  118 

Perceptions,  64 

Personal,  criticism,  forbidden,  71  ; 
enthusiasm,  ix  ;  experiences,  51; 
observation,  42 

Personification,  116 

Persons,  expression  of,  82 

Photographs,  77,  127 

Phrases,  14,  20,  107,  no,  114,  117, 
120;  participial,  117,  120,  pre- 
positional adjectival,  120  ;  pre- 
positional adverbial,  120 


INDEX, 


167 


Phrases  and  clauses,  20 
Phrases  and  words,  82-86,  88,  93 
Physics,  76 
Picnics,  52 
Picture-lessons,  77 
Pictures,  historical,  77  ;   in  text- 
books, use  of,  79  ;  magazine,  78  ; 

mythical,      77 ;      story- writing 

from,  78 ;  use  of,  77,  87 
Picture-words,  exercises  from,  17 
Picture-sentences,  exercises  from, 

22 
Place,  expression  of ,  83 
Places  of  interest,  51 
Plants,  33,  34,  133,  135-137 
Plot,  118 

Poems,  84,  88,  91,  93,  94,  118,  123 
Poetic  license,  112 
Poetry,  127 

and  prose  compared,  93 
Poets,  129 
Politeness,  65,  102 
Pope,  Alexander  : 

Extract,  141 

"Quiet  Life,  The,"  153 
Population,  49 
Potato,  24,  25 
Potter,  Bishop,  extract,  144 
Pottery,  135 
Practice,  v,  42 

Preaching,  to  be  avoided,  102 
Predicate,  82,  83 
Pre  face- writing,  120 
Preparation,  vii,  ix,  29,  96 
Prepositions,  no,  119 
Primary  classes,  ix,  14 
Probabilities,  to  be  regarded,  .101 
Promptness,  vii,  102 
Pronunciation,  correct,  81 
Prose,  119 

and  poetry  compared,  93 
Proverb,  Italian,  141 
Psalms,  the,  examples  from,  108 
Public  buildings,  50 

officers,  49 
Pump,  54 
Punctuality,   102 
Pupils,  capacity  of,  59 ;  careless, 

70  ;  observation  of,  113  ;  slow, 

22 
Purpose,  118 

Quatrains,  118 


Ragweed,  34 

Railroad  maps,  47 

Rainfall  records,  47 

Rain  gauge,  46,  47 

Read,  Thomas  Buchanan  :  '*  The 

Closing  Scene,"  34,  94 
*'  Readers,"  lessons  from,  74,  84 
Readiness,  how  cultivated,  19 
Reading  aloud,  123 

for  information,  25,  31 

good,  what  constitutes,  81 

in  class,  13,  70,  71,  78 

intelligent,  80 

light,  81 

of  daily  journal,  105 

of  pupils,  to  control,  99 

to  create  taste  for,  98 

unprofitable,  to  detect,  79 
Reading-books.  80-87 
Reading-lessons,  self-preparation 

for,  80  ;  to  facilitate,  99 
Recitations,  97;  objectionable,  80 
Records,  keeping,  46,  47,  105 
Reform  in  schoolhouse  matters,  58 
Relation,  ii8  ;  of  thought,  91 
Remarkable  events,  18,  51 
Repetition,  122 
Reviews,  120 
Rhetoric,  116 

Rhetorical  figures,  114,  121 
Rhyme,  115 
Rhythm,  116 
Rhythmical  stories,  87 
River  systems,  47 
Roads,  50 
Roadside  plants,  33 
Rogers,  Samuel:  "A  Wish,"  148 
Romancing,  64 
Rossetti,    Dante  Gabriel  :  "  The 

Leaf,"  39 
Ruskin,  John  : 

"King  of  the   Golden    River, 
The,"  96,99 

"  Love's  Meinie,"  29 

"Queen  of  the  Air,  The,"  25 

"Trees,"  39 

Saloons,  50 

Salt-water  specimens,  how  ob- 
tained, 31 

Scansion,  112 

Schoolhouse,  grounds, to  improve, 
58  ;  literature  of,  58 


i68 


INDEX. 


School  life,  51 
Schools,  as  subjects,  49 
Scientific  works,  31 
Scott,  Sir  Walter,   103 
''  Guy  Mannering,"  100 
"  Ivanhoe,"  100 
"  Lady  of  the  Lake,  The,"  113, 

119 
"  Lay   of    the   Last     Minstrel, 
The,"  115 

"  Talisman,  The,"  100 
Seaboard  schools,  31 
Seashore,  field  for  research,  32 
"Second   Reader,"  lessons  from, 

74,84 
Seeds,  34,  132 

Seed-sprouting  (example),  43 
Selections,  iii,  138-146 
Self-correction,  122 
Self-instruction,  vii,  29 
Self-preparation,  vii,  ix,  29,  80 
Sentences,   114;  avoid   long,   122; 

ending,  122 
Sentence-building,  viii 
"  Sermon  of  St. Francis,  The,"  93 
Settlement  of  county,  city,  etc.,  49 
Shakespeare,  William,  119,  120 

lessons  from,  in  dumb  show,  76 

paraphrasing,  90 

*'  Under  the  Greenwood  Tree,'' 
156 
Shakespearian  scenes,  76 
Shelley,  Percy  Bysshe  : 

*'Aziola,  The,"  157 

"  Cloud,  The,"  94 

"  Guitar,  The,"  150 

"  Lady  with  a  Guitar,  To  a,"  94 

"  Ozymandias   of   Egypt,"  93, 
150 

"  Skylark,  The,"  29 

"Skylark,  To  the,"  119 

"  Widow  Bird,  The,"  152 
Shipping,  48 
Signatures,  ix 

Signs,  use  of,  in  correcting,  71 
Silent  study,  91 

Silkworms,  experiments  with,  45 
Sill,  Edward  R. : 

Extracts,  139,  142 

"  Field  Notes,"  40,  56 

"House  and  the  Heart,  The,"  56 

"  Opportunity,"  93 
Simile,  116, 117 


Simplicity,  122 
Sincerity,  vii 
Sky,  the,  136 
Slides,  81 

Slovenly  speaking,  68,  70 
Snowfall  records,  47 
Songs,  136 
Sonnets,  121,  126 

Southey,  Robert:  "  How  Does  the 
Water  Come  Down  at  Lodore?" 
37 
Speaking,  errors  in,  124 
Speech,  figures  of,  95 
Spenser,  Edmund: 
Extract,  140 

"  Faery  Queene,  The,"  39,  119 
Spirit  and  letter,  113 
Sprouting  nuts  (example),  43 

seeds  (example),  43 
Stanzas,  114,  117 

Stories,  53,  63,  82-87,  95,  99-101, 
119;    building,    82-87,    loi;    for 
young  pupils,  99  ;  for  older  pu- 
pils, 100 
Storms,  records  of,  47 
Story-writing  from  pictures,  78 
Stowe,  Harriet  Beecher:  "House 

and  Home  Papers,"  65 
Stream,  field  for  research,  32 
Streets,  plants  of  the,  33,  r37 
Structure,  115 

Studying,  what  constitutes,  80 
Style,  vii,  123,   126 
Subject,  82,  83 

Subjects  for  advanced  classes,  126 ; 
for  composition,    138-146 ;    for 
pupils  of  various  ages,  130-137 
Summarizing,  95 
Superlatives,  119,  122 
Supernatural,  the,  128 
"  Swiss  Family  Robinson,  The," 

128 
Synecdoche,  116 
Synonyms,  88,  89,  115,  118 
Syntax,  114,  116 

Table  matters,  66 

Tannahill,  Robert:  ''The  Midges 

Dance  Aboon  the  Burn,"  147 
Taylor,  Bayard,  extracts,  138 
Teachers,  hints  to,  vii,  viii,  ix,  25, 

38,  39.  67,  80,  94,  99,  104,  122, 126 
Technicalities,  study  of,  113 


INDEX, 


169 


Temperature  records,  47 

Tennyson,  Alfred,  119,  120 
"  Brook,  The,"  37 
Extracts,  142,  143 
"  Princess,  The,"  119,  127 

Tenses,  84,  85,  114,  no 

Tetrameters,  118 

Thermometer,  use  of,  46,  47 

"  Third  Readers,"  86 

Thistle-down,  34 

Thompson,  Maurice,  29,  127;  "By- 
Ways  and  Bird-notes,"  41 

Thoreau,  Henry  David,  35,  128 
"  Excursions,''  29,  40 
"  Maine  Woods,"  41,  127 
"Walden,"56 

Thought,  91 

Time,  82,  86 

Tones,  pure,  81 

Topography,  126 

Town,  subject,  49 

Township,  subject,  49 

Translation,  oral,  115 

Travels,  51 

Tree  (example),  37,  38,  129,  135; 
historically  considered,  38  ;  lit- 
erature of,  39 

Uniformity,  ix 

Upper  classes,  exercises  for,  18,  76 

Vaughan,    Henry:    **  The  Bird," 

149 
Vegetable  productions,  24,  48 
Verbs,  84-86,  119 
Very,  Jones:  "  The  Tree,"  39 
Village,  subject,  49 
Vision,  116 
Vocabulary,   limited,    iv,    81,  98 ; 

good,  81  ;  to  improve,  19,  89 
Vowel  sounds,  116 

Ware : 

"  Aurelian,"  100 

"  Zenobia,"  100 
Warner,   Charles   Dudley:    *'  My 

Summer  in  a  Garden,"  35 
Water,  137 

Water-sheds,  mapped,  47 
Water-supply,  subject,  50 


Weathercock,  use  of,  46,  47 
Weather  records,  46,  47 
Whisky  question,  49,  50,  137 
Whittier,  John  Greenleaf,  127,  128 

"  Among  the  Hills,"  60 

"  In  School  Days,"  58 

**  Palm-tree,  The,"  39,  94 

"  Shoemakers,  The,"  93 

"  Snowbound,"  37,  65,  113 
Woodcuts,  use  of,  78 
Woodland,  a  (example),  40,  IC3; 

literature  of,  41 
Woods,  129 
Words,  II,  82-86,  88-93,  98,  no, 

112-115,  117-120,  122 

Anglo-Saxon,  119,  120 

and  derivatives,  117 

curious,  114 

doubtful,  122 

foreign,  122 

Latin,  120 

misused,  14 

obsolete,  115 

one-syllabled,  118 

proportion  of  Latin  to  Saxon, 
120 

rhyming,  118 

short,  122 

uncommon,  98,  no,  112,  115 
Wordsworth,  William,   119,  120 

"  Cuckoo,  The,"  29 

"  Excursion,  The,"  39,  40 

Extracts,  138,  139,  143,  144,  150, 
155,  158-160 

"  Fidelity,"  94 

*'  Fir  Tree,  The,"  39 

"Fountain,  The,"  94,  158 

"  Goody  Blake  and  Harry  Gill," 

94 
"Lost  Love,  The,"  149 
"  Lucy,"  93 
"  Michael, "40,  65 
"  Reverie  of  Poor  Susan,  The," 

155 

"  Skylark,  The,"  29 

"  Yarrow,"  37 
Writing,     facility    in,   v ;     from 

memory,  in  ;  system  in,  123 
Written  thought,  study  of,  114 

Young  classes,  reading  for,  99 


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